Somewhere Out There
by Tsaritza Mika
Summary: AU - Believing that Kaname is dead, Sousuke leaves everything behind. A possibility of what would have happened if Kaname had arrived in Hong Kong five minutes too late.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1 – Ashes to Ashes **

Sousuke slowly pushed himself up from the pavement, the billowing smoke and flames in the building next to him continued to devour every last trace of what had been left of Gauron. He stumbled for a moment, despite the impact on the roof of the compact vehicle parked next to him, he felt completely numb. "Chidori." Her name came out as no more than a whisper against the crackling of the nearby flames. Images flew past his mind's eye, recalling the last time he had been graced with the sight of her smiling face. The pain in his heart was practically throbbing, his ears still ringing from the explosion that had forced him back into the poorly lit street. "Chidori is…" Millions of details about her that he had committed to memory were working against him; the way she wore her hair, the color of her favorite sneakers, everything down to the pleasant scent of her apartment teased his senses. "She's dead…"

There. He had said it. Vaguely his thoughts reminded him that even if he hadn't said it that it wouldn't have made it any less painful. Steadily, the pain within him grew. The darkness inside was reaching out to him; it was tempting him with what his rational mind would have recognized as empty promises. The echo of Gauron's insane laughter only helped to spread the growing torrent of mental suffering the man's earlier words had caused. He felt his head lower to stare at the ground, as if weighed down by the overwhelming thoughts it carried. A stray piece of glass broke free from the second floor window, scratching by his cheek as if fell. A thin trail of blood trickled down his face before dripping down to the rough, blackened concrete. He didn't flinch, he wasn't even sure if he could feel anything anymore.

Everything he had worked for, suffered for, everything that had made him feel alive had been ripped away as if it were no more than a simple slip of paper. It had all disappeared in the moment that Gauron had recalled just how she had been taken from him. _'Her body was mangled and there was blood all over that cute little school girl uniform…'_ Just as the pain surrounding his heart began reaching unbearable levels, he felt himself give into the all consuming darkness within. Off in the distance he could hear the distinct sound of hurried footsteps, and moments later the form of Corporal Yang rushed from the shadows. "Sousuke, sorry but we had to follow you out here. Mao and the others are fighting the Venom without counter measures to the Lambda Driver. We've already given our coordinates to the Daanan, and they're going to be sending the Arbalest. We need you."

A sour taste formed in Sousuke's mouth as he listened. _'She needed me too,'_ he thought as Yang and his partner stood still, awaiting his answer. Yang's actions only made the deep hatred within Sousuke's gut grow. Who was he to take such liberties with him anyway? Sousuke remained frozen in place, the light of the fiery building providing the only illumination on the heavily shadowed street. "Come on man, you're the only one who can do this-"

"She's dead," Sousuke interrupted Yang. The other man's words passed over him, leaving no trace that he had even been paying attention. Unable to take Yang's drabble any longer, Sousuke had finally broken his moment of silence. "It's this damned curse. I let her die, and then I kill him." Silvered grey eyes that used to reflect and catch everything within their gaze, faded into a dead stare. "There's nothing left for me now." Yang must have finally understood Sousuke's meaning, as the slightly older man's eyes widened in shock. Sousuke remained still, unmoved by anything. He'd tried living with his emotions, and now the only one he ever wanted to share those with was gone. Why couldn't he just be left alone to wallow in his misery? He'd failed. Fuck Mithril and fuck the mission; he'd failed to protect the only person that meant more to him than any comrade or co-worker ever could.

"Kaname's dead?"

"I never had a future to begin with. Have fun killing yourselves, die for all I care." His focus momentarily fell to a large shard of glass near his feet. Lost in the reflection of eyes he thought had been left behind long ago, he felt the last of his emotions begin to slip away, falling into the darkness that threatened to consume him entirely. "In the end we're nothing. Just chunks of meat." The distant tremors of the M9s gently rocked the ruined vehicle beside him as he stared at the lone piece of glass on the ground. He just couldn't take it anymore. Apparently Yang had grown tired of his silence, as he decided to speak once more.

"Are you insane? You sound just like those terrorists!" Sousuke stared blankly back at him with disdain. How could Yang ever hope to understand? Yang had known a real life before the military; he'd had a family, people who cared for him and still did. He could never hope to understand the loneliness of being raised as a weapon; someone who is only needed as a way to keep the blood flowing. Sousuke continued in his silence, the blank hatred in his eyes burning fiercely. Hoping to try a scare tactic on the jaded young man, Yang pulled out the gun he had secured in his shoulder holster. "Fine, you wanna talk like a terrorist, then I'm gonna treat you like one!"

"C-Corporal!"

"A soldier who's lost his soul is nothing more than a killer. We can't let him go free like this." A quiet sigh found its way out of Sousuke's throat. He was beginning to find Yang annoying. All of his self-righteous talk was making him feel nauseous. Who was Yang to judge him? What right did he have to simply dismiss Sousuke's pain? Unable to stand quietly any longer, Sousuke spoke, his own voice sounding foreign to him somehow.

"You don't even have a clue do you?"

"More than you do."

"Is _that_ right?" A dark shape dropped out of the dark sky, taking the form of the Arbalest with its landing parachute deployed. The faint roar of the booster jets attached to its back grew louder in volume, and as soon as Yang and his partner heard it, they ran to get out of the street. It landed hard on the pavement, tearing up at least four blocks of the vacant street. Sousuke remained unmoving; welcoming what could be his final meeting with death. Giant clouds of dust and gusts of wind kicked up as the Arbalest crashed by him, the harsh winds blowing out the fire from the still burning building. Sousuke felt his frustration grow as the giant machine raced right by him, causing deep grooves in the hard ground beneath it. Once it had stopped, Sousuke turned to stare at the cold green eyes. Those same empty eyes stared back at him, and Sousuke could feel his gaze harden. "Piece of shit."

Yang watched helplessly as one of the strongest soldiers he'd ever met just stood there, purposely blocking out everything. The older man's shoulders slumped as he heard Sousuke insult the mech that had been sent for him. "It's useless to send this thing; I can't even use it anyway. And I don't want to." The green glass of the Arbalests eyes stared lifelessly back at him, cold and unfeeling. The mere sight of the huge machine was just another reminder to Sousuke of all that he lost when he was recalled. _'It was only because of her that I could use you in the first place. What good are you now that she's gone?' _The anger inside him was rising again, unwilling to stay buried in the dark comfort of the void within him. "That's right, just lie there and rust away." Walking over to the face of the Arbalest, Sousuke kicked in one of the glass eye panels, the colored shards dancing against the faint light of the rising sun. Wishing he had saved a few bullets to fire into the machinery, Sousuke turned to look back at Yang. "I'm leaving now. Don't follow me this time."

"Leaving? You mean you're just turning your back on us? What about Mao and Weber? The Lieutenant Commander?"

"They're all the same, just more useless bodies waiting for their chance to die. I won't be their puppet anymore."

"But what about your place in Mithril?"

"Take it if you want it so badly. I've had enough of their heroic bullshit."

"But Sousuke, think about this for a minute. What would the Captain say?" The brief memory of the meeting in her office came to the forefront of Sousuke's mind. It was one thing to require him to test the Arbalests abilities for the purpose of improving its functionality; Sousuke could understand that, no matter how much he hated that machine. But he had been pulled out of Tokyo for purely selfish reasons. He'd always known that Captain Testarossa was infatuated with him, but that's all it was, an infatuation and nothing more. She'd recalled him for her own selfish purpose, and ordering him to have no further contact with Chidori ended up being the final nail in her coffin.

"She's said enough. She pulled me away from the one most important to me."

"Then what would Kaname say if she knew?" Sousuke could feel the bile rise in his throat as he heard Yang ask him the question. _'Son of a bitch! How dare he speak her name as if he cared!'_

"Don't you dare say her name!" Moving impossibly fast, Sousuke turned and ran at Yang, raising him by his throat as he yelled. "It's because of Mithril and your precious Captain that she's dead!" Yang struggled against the tight hold on his throat, the pressure of Sousuke's grip keeping him from even the slightest breath. Yang's partner was cowering where he sat, shocked at what one of their own could be capable of.

"P-Please Sergeant, let him go, h-he didn't mean any harm!"

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions Corporal. If you value your lives I suggest you never speak her name again." Dropping Yang from the tight hold on his neck, Sousuke turned and continued to walk down the shadowed street. "Don't follow me again."

Yang choked as air suddenly rushed into his lungs. Turning to look down the street, he couldn't spot Sousuke anywhere. It was as if he had just disappeared, and the silence of the vacated neighborhood felt overpowering in his absence. Reaching to put the hand gun back in its proper place, Yang turned when he heard something like footsteps down the opposite direction. His jaw fell slightly as the shadow came closer, taking the form of a teenage girl in a light blue uniform. "Kaname?"

"Mr. Yang! Mr. Yang, please, where's Sousuke?" Yang's face fell, how could he tell her what had happened? How could he look her in the eye and tell her that Sousuke left everything behind when he believed her to be dead? Yang watched as Kaname's face grew more worried by the second, seeing the faint shine of tears as she waited in suspense.

"Kaname…"

"Mr. Yang, please tell me where he is. I have to find him!"

"Kaname, he…"

"He what? What happened? Where is he?"

"He just left."

"Left? Then, which way did he go? If we hurry…" Kaname's words stopped as Yang held up his open hand to halt her words. Kaname wasn't liking this at all. If Sousuke was around, why weren't they trying to find him? What had happened?

"Someone lied to him about you Kaname."

"Someone lied? About me? What did they say?"

"T-They told him… that you were dead." Yang watched as her hand came up to her stricken face to cover her mouth. A quiet sob escaped her as the tears broke free from her lashes. "He hasn't been the same since he got recalled. It, well it's been almost like he was pushed into a corner or something. He was just so angry and frustrated at everything. He wandered off earlier, and when we found him, he said that you were dead. We don't know who would have said something like that, but it's like he's lost his will to live." Kaname's tears flowed faster down her face as she tried to imagine what it was like to witness Sousuke giving up at anything. _'Why?'_ she though as her trembling knees finally gave out. _'Why now? I finally made it here Sousuke! I made it all this way here for you! Where are you!?' _

"We tried talking to him Kaname. He didn't want to hear any of it." Kaname's tears fell onto the pink bag she held over her legs, the damp material looked almost as dark as blood under the shadows of the first bright light of day. Her fists clenched onto the handles as the tears fell from her normally bright eyes.

"Mao and the others are fighting right now; right?"

"Yes. But, without Sousuke they probably won't last long."

"They need the Lambda Driver don't they?"

"Yes." Kaname brought up a hand to wipe the tears from her face, even though others fell immediately after. A light breeze played with her hair as she sat and contemplated everything that had happened in the last few hours. She'd almost died because Sousuke had disappeared, and now that she was so close…

"Mr. Yang?"

"Yeah Kaname?"

"Mao and the others will be fine."

"Huh? What do you mean? Is there a way around the Lambda Driver we didn't know about?"

"No."

"Then what-"

"Maybe I can do something."

"What are talking about?" Kaname stood, leaving her bag with the other man she hadn't met before. Wiping the tears from her face once more she took a hard look at the abandoned Armslave down the road. Yang stood silently, confused as he watched her walk over toward the Arbalest. "Kaname, What are you doing?"

"It was a Whispered who built this thing right?"

"W-Well yes, but I don't see-"

"Then maybe a Whispered can pilot it."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Immolation**

Kaname stared at the lifeless Arbalest that lay haphazardly in the empty street. The landing had left the normally pristine metal heavily scratched, and one of the bright green eye panels was badly cracked. Placing a single hand on the head of the giant mech, she could feel the light pull of the whispers on the edges of her consciousness. Her breaths were heavy as she stared at the one untouched green eye. _'I wish you could tell me where he is right now,'_ she thought as one last defiant tear escaped her eye. Letting it trail down her face undisturbed, she turned to face Mr. Yang once more. "Mr. Yang."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Help me open it." She watched as the man hesitated, unsure if he should help her into the mech. Rationally, she couldn't blame him for feeling the way he did. Even Kaname knew that the Armslaves were only good to those who had at least practiced with the controls. She was a normal civilian; she'd never operated anything even close to the Arbalest, let alone by herself.

"Kaname, please; let's just take you back to the Daanan. We can call the Captain and-"

"Mr. Yang, if we don't try this Mao and Kurz will more than likely die! Do you want that? Can you live knowing you could have prevented it?" Her eyes burned, she was already exhausted, and the tears hadn't helped. Her ribs and leg still hurt from the fall she took out of the window of that sleazy love hotel. Her throat was thick and scratchy from being choked with tears. Feeling her gaze harden with determination, she turned and faced Yang. "If there's even a small chance that they can be saved, would you be willing to help me or not?"

Yang felt his only options dry up as he met her stare. It was in this very moment that Yang was able to understand why Sousuke had reacted so powerfully toward the young woman in front of him. She was scared, possibly hurt from how she was nursing her left side, and someone who was important to her had just disappeared. Despite all that had happened, she was able to stand tall and demand that he help her to try and save his comrades. She truly was amazing. Realizing the she was right; Yang walked over and crawled up on top of the mech to open the hatch. Flipping the switch, he helped Kaname to crawl into the cockpit. "How do I turn it on Mr. Yang?"

"It works similar to a normal computer. It should power up if you push that button on the right side of the monitor. After you put your arms through the controllers, there should be a roller on the right. It works like a computer mouse." Watching as she tested how it felt to put her limbs in the controllers, he checked his watch. "We only have until 6am Kaname."

"What happens at 6am?"

"The ceasefire between the North and South China governments will be dissolved, and it will trigger a new series of wars; and it will probably spread around the world." Kaname stared at the dark computer screen in front of her as she listened. If the ceasefire dissolved, it would more than likely be the hair trigger needed to plunge everyone into a third world war. Even if there wasn't much she could do, Kaname felt the burning need inside her to try. _'Sousuke…I wish you were here. I need you.'_ Taking a calming breath, Kaname pushed the activation button and used the roller to select the start up sequence. The whispers at the edges of her thoughts were pulling harder now, and it was taking a lot of focus not to give in. Once the computer had run through a systems check, Kaname heard the mechanical voice of the A.I. come through the speakers.

-Unidentified user detected. Please identify yourself-

"...."

-This unit is only operable by Sergeant Sousuke Sagara. You are not an authorized user-

"…What's your name?"

-I am called AL. Please identify yourself-

"AL, it's nice to meet you. My name is Kaname Chidori."

-Subject identified: Kaname Chidori; Codename: Angel; designated under the protection of Sergeant Sagara-

"That's right AL. That's me." Kaname had to force a new wave of tears back. Taking a calming breath, she tried to keep herself under control.

-Question: Miss Chidori, where is Sergeant Sagara?-

"We don't know AL. But the others need our help."

-My apologies Miss Chidori, but I am programmed to only take orders from Sergeant Sagara-

"I understand that AL, but we don't know where he is right now. We really need your help." Despite her earlier conviction, Kaname could feel herself slipping. The whispers were pulling at her tired mind, and her overworked body ached due to her lack of adequate rest. Thinking as fast as her tired mind would let her, she decided to try a different route. "AL, look up something for me could you?"

-What is it Miss Chidori?-

"Could you tell me what the definition of _'Comrade'_ is please?"

-Processing- Kaname waited in suspense as she sat in the cockpit. If her hands weren't gripping the controls, she would have crossed her fingers. _'I hope this works,'_ she thought as the progress bar on the screen quickly filled_. 'Melissa and the others won't die if I have anything to say about it!'_

-Request Processed. Three definitions of _'Comrade'_ found. Shall I read them?-

"Go ahead." As AL responded, Kaname could see the words being printed on the screen in front of her.

-Comrade: (1) An intimate friend or associate; (2) A fellow Soldier; (3) A form of address used by Communists. Question: Are you a Communist Miss Chidori?-

"No AL, I'm not a Communist. But can I ask you something? You are part of Mithril too correct?"

-Affirmative, I am a registered Armslave of the Mithril Organization-

"You fight with Sousuke as well, right?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

"That would make you a fellow soldier then. Tell me AL, if a soldier is unable to perform his duties, another has to take his place right?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

"So I'm asking you AL, as one of Sousuke's fellow soldiers, will you help protect me?" Kaname could feel her nerves twitch as she waited for a response. She was definitely going out on a limb, but if this worked and she was able to do something, then Melissa and the others might be able to help her when this was all over. A small line of nervous sweat began to gather at her uniform neckline, Kaname reached up and loosened her bow so that she could undo the top button.

-Ensuring the safety of one, Kaname Chidori, is within my mission parameters. Are you currently in danger Miss Chidori?-

"I am AL. An enemy Venom Unit is running rampant in the city, and it could trigger a world war. Sousuke's disappeared, and you're the only one left who can protect me. Please AL, help me." She waited in another few moments of suspense, listening for any sign that AL would do as she asked. She wet her dry lips, her fingers flexing on the controllers.

-Miss Chidori, your file says that you are a registered Whispered. Is this Correct?-

"Yes AL."

-If you concentrate, you may be able to resonate with my systems. If my theory is correct, you should be able to properly operate me without any problems- Kaname let out the breath she didn't know she held, her grip loosening on the strained controllers. A few rebellious tears escaped her thick lashes as relief rushed through her.

"Thank you so much AL."

-It's not a problem Miss Chidori- Kaname's heart skipped a beat at the familiar words. A new wave of tears rushed down her face before she could wipe away the last ones. Once her face was clear of any fresh tears, she took a deep, calming breath. Leaning back into the pilot's chair, her eyes focus on the screen in front of her.

"Tell me AL, what do I need to do to start you up?" Kaname was still feeling very nervous about being in the giant mech; it wouldn't be like the Armslave festival. When she was there, she could at least make a mistake and walk away from it without a scratch, this was the real thing. The isolation around her heart grew, and she tried to calm herself once more. _'Sousuke…'_

-Main systems have already been activated Miss Chidori. If you resonate with me, the Lambda Driver should react properly. I will be able to handle the rest-

"All right AL, attempting resonation. You may want to record this for Tessa, okay?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

Still a little unsure, Kaname let her mind give in to the pull of the whispers. Millions of numbers, facts, and equations rushed into the forefront of her mind, and when she opened her eyes once more, all that stared back at the computer screen was a hollow expression. Her lips began to move, the voice coming out sounding almost mechanical. "Bi-lateral Angle set to 3.5; power set to maximum; Lambda Driver activated and currently operating at 100% efficiency; data link operational; Palladium reactor stabilized; all systems go."

The ground shook slightly as the Arbalest began to move; Yang stood outside on the pavement and gazed up at the Armslave in shock. _'She actually did it!'_ he thought as he and his partner took a few steps back. The Arbalest stood straight, the bright white of the metal gleamed in the rising sunlight. Activating the external speakers, Yang heard Kaname's voice echo against the deserted buildings. "Thank you Corporal Yang, you may go now." Tiny extensions popped out from the shoulders and other specifically placed areas, activating the Electronic Cloaking System. Before Yang or his partner could respond, the Arbalest vanished in a shimmer of light. Deciding to take down their location and return later, Yang and his partner retreated back to where they had parked their van.

"This is Perth-1 to Urzu-1, move back about three blocks to the southwest, and try to lure him."

"Roger that." Another blast came from the Venom as it pursued the M9 through the city. Lieutenant Closeau continued to dodge the attacks by the red Venom, being careful to draw it in close just before leaping out of range. When he was finally able to back up a few hundred yards, he tried distracting the Venom by throwing his anti-tank dagger. The Venom saw it coming, and using the Lambda Driver field, the anti-tank dagger was crushed into so much scrap metal. The field's immediate force caused an explosive reaction, and as Closeau moved to retreat, the Venom moved in and took out his right leg. "Damn it!"

"That's quite, enough of you." Yui Phan was getting tired. It was hot in the Venom's cockpit. The AC had shut down almost twenty minutes ago in order to divert maximum power to the Lambda Driver. The air was getting thicker, and her harsh breaths only added to the humidity within the small area. Yui Phan glanced over to her side monitor when the system detected more enemies within range. Yui Phan looked up to the top of the building next to her, the massive head of the Venom moving with it.

"Urzu-1 to Perth-1, we've got guests!" Closeau had followed the look of the Venom that had taken him down. The instant his vision had reached the top of the building, he felt a trickle of sweat run down the back of his neck. "Five Venom's acquired!" Closeau watched from his prone position as the two Venom's talked. From their voices, the one he had been fighting was a woman, and the man, the man sounded like he was insane! Hearing the woman mention something about revenge on Amalgam, the red Venom on top of the building bent down to pick up a dead woman's body. _'He's treating her like nothing more than a doll! Who __**is**__ this sicko?'_ The red Venom shook the corpse fiercely for a moment, and when he realized he had broken her arm, his only response was 'Oopsie! God Damn thing broke!'

Yui Phan bit her lip hard, drawing blood. That horrid man was playing with her sister's body as if she were no more than a toy! She watched in horror and anger as his violent nature caused one of the corpses' arms to break. Unable to stand by and watch as he desecrated her sister's body, Yui Phan roared as she leapt at Gates' red Venom. "BASTARD!!" Using his energy field, he easily blocked her and sent her flying back. With a great leap he came up on top of her and cut off one of her arms before forcing her back down into the street.

Closeau watched as the maniac piloting the red Venom came down hard and thrust a giant sword into the center of the enemy cockpit. Both of their Lambda Drivers were still activated, and it only enhanced the great explosion when the silver Venom's palladium reactor went critical. Closeau could feel his hands slightly shaking at the amount of power his new enemy had against him. He tried gripping the controllers harder to stop the shaking, but when the red Venom turned and addressed him, he felt a chill run up his spine. Over his radio he could hear Melissa calling for him to get away any way he could. "Stay away, you'll never make it in time!" The red Venom raised his boxer canon and took aim, and Closeau swore he could feel death's cold hands on his shoulders. His systems were already warning him that his enemy had him locked on target, just when the red Venom was about to shoot, part of his shoulder was somehow shot off. Everyone was checking to find out who could have made the shot, over his radio, Closeau could hear Kalinin ask if Kurz had made the shot.

"Naw, it wasn't me. It looks like _he_ finally decided to make his entrance. You were just waiting to make a great entrance, weren't ya?"

"You are mistaken, Mr. Weber."

"What the-"

"Please do not worry. Everything will be fine now."

"Who the hell is _that_?"

"Calm down everybody! This is Urzu-1 of the West Pacific Fleet, identify yourself!"

"I am…Angel."

"Angel? Who the hell…"

"No way! Are you fucking kidding me!?"

"Holy shit! Kaname, babe is that really you? Where the hell is Sousuke?" Kurz felt his heart jump as over his radio he could hear something close to a sob. "Kaname talk to me, what happened to Sousuke?" The sound of more tears came over the radio, and for the first time, the heartstrings of every SRT member were pulled tightly.

"Just, let me help Kurz…please."

"You sure you can do this?"

"…I have to ry." From inside their M9s, both Kurz and Melissa could hear the misery in her usually kind and happy voice. They wanted to try and talk her out of it; they knew they should because it was the right thing to do. This fight was even over the heads of normal military officers, not to mention that of a civilian. But when they heard her voice cracking, neither could force themselves to voice any of the words their minds were screaming. "Please…let me try." Just as the last of their resolve crumbled, Kalinin's voice came over the radio.

"Perth-1 to all units, fall back and give support fire to the Arbalest. We'll figure this out later." Almost reluctantly, Kurz and Melissa heard everyone respond. Following their lines, both them answered in the affirmative as well. Sitting in his M9, Kurz wondered the same thing as Melissa, where was Sousuke?

"Thank you…everyone. AL, please activate the targeting systems."

-Yes Miss Chidori-


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Through the Fire and Flames**

Adjusting the large headphones and transmitter he wore, Kalinin swore under his breath. He had felt this event coming since their last strategic meeting on the Daanan. For as long as he had known Sagara, only since he had been recalled had the boy seemed so…lifeless. He couldn't say he was surprised to find that he had walked away, because in all truth of the matter, he had done the same once before. Long ago when he had been told about the circumstances regarding his wife and newborn's deaths, he had lost his faith in those he fought for. Sagara must have felt the same; having been so abruptly ripped away from his position as Miss Chidori's bodyguard. He watched in quiet amazement as the Arbalest leaped to meet the first silver Venom. Knocking the opponent down, it then ripped off one of its arms and aimed the boxer-shot cannon at the cockpit area and fired, using the Lambda Driver field to contain the majority of the explosion.

Despite the red tape that this event would cause, Kalinin didn't blame Sagara in the least for his actions. It had originally been at his insistence that Sagara be assigned the task of looking after Chidori, as the older man felt that the boy was far too old for his years in many ways. Andrei had been fighting for nearly twenty years, but in many ways, Sagara was a far more superior soldier than he could ever hope to be. He still regretted not demanding to his superiors in the Spetsnaz that he be allowed to adopt the young boy, but all the regret in the world could never change the fact that Mithril's actions had somehow broken the last shard of the boy's spirit. Faintly hoping that they both lived to meet again someday, he continued to observe the battle from his position in the helicopter.

Kalinin was surprised at how gracefully the Arbalest now moved, but considering a Whispered was piloting it, the A.I. was probably drawing the majority of its actions from its battle records, attempting to mimic the actions that Sagara had made at one point or another. Once the first Venom was destroyed, the others must have been given the order to scatter, as they each leapt in four opposite directions. Each of them carried an immense version of a medieval bladed weapon, and when the Arbalest used a nearby billboard to propel itself into the air, it twisted and made a direct shot through the torso of the one carrying an oversized scythe.

Kaname's eyes stared blankly at the monitor screen in front of her, her Whispered state leaving her oblivious to the tears falling down her face. Her hair was moving as if by some ethereal wind, and her skin seemed as if it had a glow all its own. Al continued to relay her information as her body moved of its own accord. Outside, the others continued to attempt distracting the other Venom units while the Arbalest took them down one by one. Leaping at one of them, Kaname activated the Lambda Driver field from both of the Arbalests large hands, eliminating it in a great blast of light instantly.

-Another target has been eliminated Miss Chidori-

"Lock on the next target AL."

-Yes Miss Chidori-

The final silver Venom was attempting to draw out the Arbalest, constantly dodging and ducking all of its attempts to shoot from a distance. Fed up with all of its incessant leaping, the Arbalest waited for the right moment, and when the Venom tried to make a far jump from one building to another, the Arbalest launched the grappling cord. The cord wrapped tightly around the Venom's ankle, and with a quick yank, the machine crashed back down to the ground. With a quick twist however, it managed to stand back up and move away just as the Arbalests fist came crashing down on it.

Melissa watched from her place a few blocks behind with her 76mm held close to her. Trying to focus on the battle that was taking place, her mind kept drifting back to the last conversation she had with Sousuke. In reality, she had told him the truth, she really did feel for him, but this was a delicate operation. Even Melissa could understand why Sousuke had been so upset. He'd never been given the chance to get close to anyone before, and just when he was figuring things out, Mithril had recalled him. She could still feel the chill that had raced up her spine when she saw the dead look in his eye when he had told her that he just couldn't do it anymore. For the last two years, Sousuke had been something like the little brother she'd never had, and the knowledge that she had let him down only made her guilt worse.

A stray shot whizzed past the head of her M9, and she turned to shoot back at the silver Venom to draw its attention from the Arbalest. Once the pilot was focused on her, a shot came from the Arbalest above it, slicing the Venom in half like a hot knife through butter. The resulting explosion sent pieces of the giant mech scattering, but thankfully, only one of Melissa's exterior cameras suffered some minor damage.

-Four targets have been eliminated Miss Chidori. You are doing very well-

"Thank you AL. Locate and lock on to the last target please."

-Yes Miss Chidori- ______________________________________________________________________________________

The steep shadows of the early morning stretched down the empty street as he walked, the distant rumbling of the M9s was the only interruption to the silence he wanted. Sousuke's head still hung low, his usually strong shoulders slumped as he passed the vacant stores and apartment buildings. His eyes were still blank as he aimlessly roamed through the city, his head feeling as if it would split apart at all of the memories that clamored for his attention. He'd stopped looking at the random advertisements that he passed, for the longer he looked, each would soon after have her face. Even the signs for the newest manga in the comic shop he had passed; every princess looked like her, and every school girl wore her uniform.

Noticing a bench off the main sidewalk, he moved to sit for a while. His feet ached from all the walking he had done, but it was nothing compared to how much he'd had to walk while he was growing up in Afghanistan. Even then, he'd never been given the luxury of comfortable sneakers. His stomach strained with hunger, but he paid it no mind. With the way he felt right now, anything he ate would probably come right back up. Despite the emptiness that now filled him, his chest still ached uncontrollably. It was reaching to the point where he could have compared it to a bullet wound, possibly even a piece of shrapnel. _'Shrapnel,'_ he thought as he stared into space. _'That was the first real time I saved her.' _ His heart clenched at the memory, his mind playing tricks on him, letting him feel the ghost touch of her soft hand on his face. Unconsciously, his hands clenched, as though it could still feel the material of his school jacket around her thin frame when he had held her close that day.

Another tremor shook the items in the shops nearby, further reminding him of the pointless battle that was taking place just across town. Part of him wanted to try and find that whore he had left a few hours ago, maybe see if he could simply pay her to spend time talking with him. He shook his head against the thought, if he had thought she looked too similar to do anything with her before, it wasn't going to do him any favors if he tried a second time. A distant memory of a lighthearted joke Kurz had once told him came back; _'Man Sousuke, you're gonna die a virgin ya know that?'_ The true meaning of his words had become clear to him long after, but as Sousuke watched a puddle of water ripple with the tremors from across town, he realized another truth about himself. He had only ever wanted one person in whole life.

In the past six months, in his darkest fantasies that no one other than he would ever hear about, he had occasionally thought about her that way. He was a man after all, despite the jokes some made about him and his sometimes clueless nature. Clueless ness aside, it would have taken a blind man to not notice how beautiful she was. Further still, it would have taken a dead man to not see how wonderful she was. Even through his sometimes cold façade, Sousuke had been enamored from the moment he'd met her. From the very first time he had been graced with her beautiful laughter, regardless if it was at his expense or not, the mere sound of it had lifted his spirits like nothing else ever had before. Her fiery spirit had always shown brightly. And even when it seemed as if there had been no way out, her determination and resourcefulness had saved him more times than he wanted to count. And that damn halisen of hers. What he wouldn't give to hear her yell at him just one more time, and bring the paper weapon down hard onto his head. Hell, he'd gladly take a roundhouse kick to the head if it meant she would be the one to do it.

A feeling of confusion arose within him as he felt a strange sensation behind his eyes. Forcing back the feeling, he stood and continued his lonely walk. The deep purple shadows were starting to become lighter as the sun rose higher in the sky, and as Sousuke crossed an empty intersection, a breeze came down to ruffle his hair. Absently he reached up to touch it again, curling his fingertips around the shortened strands. _'This was the last favor she did for me,'_ he thought as he passed an abandoned garbage can. The wind blew by him once more, his mind trying to fool him by associating it with the feeling of her fingers threading themselves through his dark mahogany strands.

After roaming aimlessly down another four blocks, Sousuke could feel himself being watched. His instincts kicking in, he immediately dashed for a more favorable position, cursing when he realized he'd emptied his magazine into Gauron's now charred remains. Thinking a little more on the situation, he started to realize that he had already welcomed the chance for death twice in the last twenty-four hours, so what would once more really do? Placing the empty Glock back into his shoulder holster, he walked back onto the deserted street. Not a moment after he had stepped into the center of the road, he felt the cold touch of a gun barrel on the back of his head. His eyes faded once more. Maybe this would be the moment that death released him from his suffering. There was even a faint chance that as he made his descent into hell that he could glimpse the vision of a blue-haired angel. He was slightly surprised though, when the voice he heard was more than obviously computerized.

-Drop your weapon and turn around slowly-

"Why bother if the only gun I have is empty?"

-Drop your weapon and turn around slowly- Sighing in frustration, Sousuke reached into his jumpsuit and pulled out the Glock. Dropping it unceremoniously on the ground, he turned to find a very tall figure wearing a dark trench coat. His confusion only ran deeper when he noticed the shining red scanner where a pair of eyes should have been. _'Infrared Scanners?'_ he thought as confusion slowly crept into his mind. There were two of them, and standing between them both was another. The sun's rays blocking a clear view of the other man, Sousuke kept his focus on the strange person closest to him.

"I would like to thank you for your cooperation Mr. Sagara; I much prefer to do things in a far more civilized manner." It was definitely a man's voice, but because he was partially hidden behind the tall person in the dark trench coat that stood before him, Sousuke still couldn't make out any pertinent details.

"What do you want?"

"I simply wish to speak with you for a moment if I may. We have many things in common, you and I."

"Is that so?"

"Yes it is. For instance, we both despise Mithril." Sousuke felt sick again at the mention of the organization. The same one that he blamed for taking him away from the person who meant so much to him. Still, there were plenty of rival organizations and terrorists that knew the name. It was only natural that because of what they did, they would have made just as many enemies as they did allies. Bored with the situation already, Sousuke shrugged as his eyes faded once more.

"That doesn't matter; plenty of people hate them the same as I do. That doesn't make us friends."

"Friends? I assure you Mr. Sagara; this has nothing to do with friendship in the least. This is strictly business."

"Get to the point then. What _business_ do you have with me, and why should I give a damn?" This conversation was irritating, and the fact that the man wouldn't show himself only proved that he couldn't trust him as far as he could throw him.

"I have a proposition for you. How would you like to come and work for me?"

"Say I agree to this, shouldn't I know the face of my employer?"

"Please forgive my rudeness, Alastor?"

-Yes sir-

"Execute Plan-112 Alastor."

-Roger- A ray of sunlight reflected against the cold metal of the Alastor's frame, and Sousuke could feel the confusion within him increase nearly tenfold. The thing had been a miniature Armslave. _'But…how?'_

"What in the world…"

"Models of my own design. The Alastor-1211 is the world's smallest Armslave ever created. Full autonomy at this point is a near impossibility, but the technology to understand and carry out verbal commands is more than adequate for now." The machine still holding Sousuke in his sights, backed up slowly as it retreated to stand behind the young man. He was probably no older the he, but the instant Sousuke laid eyes on his hair, there was only one person his mind conjured.

"Your hair…"

"Yes. You see that is the other thing you and I have in common Mr. Sagara; we are both well acquainted with my little sister."

"Little sister?"

"That's right. If I may properly introduce myself, my name is Leonard Testarossa; although, the codename I assume would be Mr. Silver."

"What do you want from me?"

"I would like you to come and work for me. Your skills are legendary among those who have fought with you, and I could always use another capable soldier." Angered that Leonard would even make such an offer, Sousuke's eyes narrowed. Just because he wanted nothing more to do with Mithril, didn't mean he wanted to join any terrorist organizations either. With what skills he did have, he could service himself out as a freelance assassin until the day he would be granted with his death. Then, maybe he could join her in the afterlife.

"I may not be part of Mithril anymore, but I'm no terrorist either. You'll never get me back into another Armslave. So don't even try."

"Don't be ridiculous Mr. Sagara. We have plenty of capable pilots at our disposal. You wouldn't even have to go near one if you didn't want to."

"Then get to the point."

"Actually Mr. Sagara, I wanted you to be one of my new bodyguards. There are certain times when using an Alastor are, shall we say, inconvenient. Showing up with them for a meeting with a potential client is not always the best way to instill a sense of trust between businessmen such as ourselves. For this, I believe a more human approach would be a much better fit."

"Then find yourself one and leave me alone." Sousuke started to turn away, fed up with how Leonard carried himself. His arrogance would one day get him killed, it was something that Sousuke could feel in the back of his throat. Such attitudes on the battlefield often lead even the most capable soldiers to their deaths, because once you become overconfident, your vision of the bigger picture becomes easily clouded.

"Will you not even consider my offer then?"

"…" He heard Leonard sigh as he stared off to the side of the road. Tossing him a small black cellular phone, Sousuke caught it easily before it hit him in the chest.

"Should you change your mind, this will be able to contact me anywhere in the world. Farewell for now, Mr. Sagara." Glancing in Leonard's direction, Sousuke watched as the two small mechs trailed after him obediently. Still feeling his previous disgust at being treated as someone's lapdog, Sousuke continued on his walk through the city.

Leonard smirked as he walked back down the street to meet with his transport helicopter. Things had turned out far better than he could have ever planned. Either way, things could work to his advantage on both side of the equation. Even if Sagara never accepted his offer, it would be a simple matter to have an agent tailing him. He had openly walked away from Mithril, and it was quite obvious that despite his actions that he had no intention of deliberately hiding himself.

He had been intrigued when one of his Alastors had alerted him to an explosion from one of the shabby apartment houses a few blocks from his location, and sent one of the Alastors to investigate. He had been even more curious when the Arbalest had made a rather unimpressive crash landing in the exact same area. When the machine had returned and played back the video it had recorded, Leonard cracked a smile. For the first in a long time, he couldn't believe his good fortune. Not only had Mithril effectively helped to drive away their only pilot able to operate the Lambda Driver, he believed that Kaname Chidori had been killed. Things only kept getting better, as the recording then showed that not a few minutes after Sagara had departed, Kaname had showed up to try and find him. He owed a small bit of thanks to the Mithril operative who had, in his own way, convinced her not to search for him as well.

It certainly had been a surprise to see Kaname Chidori willingly resonate with the Lambda Driver in the Arbalest. She had seemed so adamant that she didn't want anything to do with the gifts she'd been given. There was a large possibility that because of the recent turn of events, that she would henceforth remain with Mithril; if only to use their connections as a way to try and locate Sagara. This also could work for Leonard, as he now had leverage over her regardless of the situation. Whether Sagara agreed to the offer or not, Leonard would know exactly where he was. If she wanted to see Sagara that badly, she would have to do something for him in return.

The smirk on his face grew as he stood on the open rooftop, his hair blowing in the fierce wind from the propeller of the helicopter. Yes, everything would happen in his favor. Just as it always had.

With the last of the Silver Venom's destroyed, the Arbalest turned to face it final opponent. Facing each other defiantly, the red Venom leapt away suddenly, taunting the Arbalest with childish sounding threats laced with vulgar insults. Over the radio, Kaname was able to recognize Kalinin's voice echoing through that small cockpit. "This is Perth-1 to Angel, don't let that unit escape. I repeat, all Venom's must be destroyed at all costs." A quiet sob escaped her for a moment, and her knuckles turned white with the force she used to grip the controllers. Taking a moment to herself, Kaname tried to focus harder. Her state of mind needed to be clear if she was going to operate the Lambda Driver to full capacity, but the fact that she had to fight to save the people who should be protecting her still weighed heavily on her shoulders. Her thoughts drifted back to the reason she was there. Hoping beyond all else that once this fight was over that she would be allowed to search the city. _'He'd do the same for me. I know he would,'_ she thought as her head lowered and her shoulders shook lightly, a new wave of tears falling down her cheeks. Though Kaname had never been a religious person by any means, she couldn't help but prey that her feelings would somehow reach him; wherever he was. "Sousuke…come back to me…please. I need you, stupid military idiot."

-Miss Chidori, the last Venom is targeting us. We must move quickly if we are going to retaliate-

AL's words weren't helping her current state of mind at all. But what she wanted wasn't important right now. Sousuke would have to wait for her, or hundreds of people could die as a result of this battle not being resolved. Trying to fight the tears that were still pouring down her face, Kaname lifted her head and took a deep breath. Falling back into her Whispered state, blank eyes now stared intently at the monitor in front of her. "Understood AL. Please initiate the start-up sequence for the Lambda Driver field. I have and idea."

-Yes Miss Chidori-


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Simmering Embers**

A great glow of light radiated from a sphere of energy that surrounded the Arbalest. The ground below seemed to be pushed to the breaking point under the force of the Lambda Driver's powerful field, and gusts of wind picked up and swirled around it, projecting the dust and small pieces of concrete skyward. Inside the cockpit, Kaname's hair still seemed to float of its own accord. Numbers and symbols flashed by her vision as she typed her directions into the Arbalests mainframe; her Whispered trance making it as though her fingers were barely even touching the keys. She was almost done entering the programming for what she wanted AL to do, when her concentration was broken by a radio transmission. "TDDHQ to Angel. TDDHQ to Angel, please respond!" With a sigh of hurt and frustration, Kaname pressed the acknowledge button to answer.

"What is it Tessa?"

"Miss Kaname, what are you doing in there? Are you insane? You could be killed!" Kaname was getting annoyed now. It wasn't enough that she had come all this way just to find that Sousuke had abandoned his mission when he had been told she was dead, now she had to be interrogated for trying to help? Kaname was reaching her limit; she knew she had to finish this quickly so that she could look for him. But, she was exhausted in mind and body; she had to end it before she lost all her strength.

"Tessa, unless you're going to give me any advice on getting rid of this final Venom, leave me alone. I need to concentrate."

"But Miss Kana-" Kaname pushed the button to disconnect the transmission. Tessa may be her friend, but right now she was another distraction that would keep her from what she had to do. Letting the Whispers take control of her fingers once more, she continued to enter in the commands.

"AL, can you use your previous battle data to keep him busy while I finish setting this up?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

"Do so please."

-Yes Miss Chidori-

Gates' Venom had retreated for the moment, but the sensors were still picking up his EMF output, meaning he was still close by. Allowing AL to move on his own while Kaname entered in a possible strategy, they cautiously moved down the street. Not a few seconds after entering a large intersection, the sensors began beeping wildly. Turning the Arbalest, they were able to block the majority of a direct attack on their left side. The cockpit was steadily registering all damage from the momentary impact, and Kaname could feel her muscles twitch in fear. If her fingers weren't busy entering the long list of orders and their possible counter attacks, she would have shrunk down in the small pilot's chair. She was hoping that this would work; but the reality was that if it didn't, she knew that she would die. Despite the fear of death that she now held, somehow it wasn't as great as the fear of letting those around her die. She had willingly climbed into the cockpit, and therefore had also willingly forfeited her life for those she wished to protect.

Another blast shook the Arbalest, this time from above, and Kaname sat in wonder at the great sacrifice that she had never fully acknowledged. While Sousuke had done this for most of his life, the thought was never as real as it had been a few hours ago. Finishing her plan, she submitted the information into AL's database. Hoping that the plan would be able to help AL to protect her, Kaname made the mental note that if she ever did find Sousuke, she would make sure he understood just how much she appreciated him. Pride be damned, he deserved to have at least one person on the outside acknowledge everything that he did for the millions of people that would never know his name or face.

-Miss Chidori-

"Yes AL?"

-There is an 80% chance that your plan will be successful-

"…thank you AL."

-Question: If you have no knowledge of military protocol, how were you able to think of such an effective strategy?-

"I watch a lot of action movies AL. That's all. Please make sure that that nut-job doesn't have the chance to hurt anyone else ever again!"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

Putting Kaname's strategy into action, the Arbalest retreated to a more advantageous position. Gates' Venom noticed their movements, and while trying to verbally taunt them, chased the Arbalest through the advertisement crowded streets. When they were able to get far enough ahead of the Venom, they used a billboard to propel the Arbalest into a high flip. Using the targeting systems, AL was able to make a perfect shot to both sides of the Venom's hips before coming back down. AL then activated the ECS and hid between two close skyscrapers. Gates' Venom turned the corner to find that the Arbalest had disappeared, but due to all the buildings, using the now fried ECCS would be useless. Slowly moving down the street, Kaname used the time until Gates reached her position to send out an encrypted message to the SRT's M9s. "Attention all SRT personnel, this is Codename Angel. I am forwarding our battle plan to you, please move to your designated positions and await further instructions. Those who are not listed please retreat and be ready to provide additional support fire."

Kurz's eyes went wide as he looked over the strategy Kaname had sent to them. It might just be crazy enough to work. According to the plan she'd come up with, it looked as if they were going to try and overwhelm the final Venom by using the surrounding buildings against it. From the look of it, Kaname had just taken out the main ECCS circuitry located in the hips of the Venom. Since they were also downtown, most of the surrounding area was made up of tall skyscrapers covered in long reflective windows. If the ECCS was fried, then the Venom would have to rely on sight alone, which made the whole city something like a hall of mirrors. Kurz could feel a devious smile coming through, the grim outlook from before starting to clear. Kurz's position was to be on top of the highest bank tower to the northeast, and to have his ECS engaged at all times. He'd have to take the severe winds up there into consideration, but it still appeared that he was to be the only one in a permanent station. Feeling more confident about letting Kaname handle herself, he activated his ECS and sent out a 'Roger' over the radio, before he headed toward the building.

Kaname sat impatiently in the cockpit chair. The Venom would be passing their position any second now, and Kaname could feel a chill run down her spine, despite the warm air circulating in the small space. She crossed her fingers when she heard the Venom coming up on her position. Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself, watching the monitors closely as it passed by the entrance to the smaller side street where she hid. Once passed, she exited and was able to make a quick shot to the right leg before dodging in between the buildings across the street. On her tail again, Kaname used the many reflective surfaces to her advantage. When Venom passed her again, she turned on the radio. "Angel to Mao, please respond."

"This is Mao; my code is Urzu 2 Kaname. You can call Weber Urzu 6."

"Roger that Urzu 2, are you in position yet?"

"Affirmative Angel. I've got him in my sights."

"Good, make sure he sees your reflection; when he makes his move, I'll take another shot from behind."

"Roger."

"This is Angel to all other SRT personnel. Are you all in position to provide support fire?" Receiving nothing but a round of affirmatives, Kaname let out a calming breath before continuing. "Okay, once the Venom is focused on Urzu 2, fire at it from all directions; leave the Lambda Driver to me."

Melissa crossed into Gates' line of sight, his shot demolishing one of the many tall business centers around them. The Venom's actions radiated that he was shocked that he missed, and quickly, Kaname used that moment to activate the Lambda Driver and aim for the main circuitry center inside the Venom's hips, hoping that the support system for the Lambda Driver was still installed there. The rest of the Urzu team also decided to fire on the Venom simultaneously. With both legs severely damaged, and one arm torn off at the shoulder, the Venom began falling backwards. Thanks to the targeting systems, Kaname hit the Venom dead on, and while Gates was distracted by a failing Lambda Driver and shots coming in from all directions, Kaname called Kurz over the radio.

"Shoot him now Urzu 6! Before he can get out!"

"Gotcha babe!" From Kurz's position on top of the tall building, he took careful aim and fired. The time before impact seemed to last forever, until finally it blasted its way through the center of the chest plates and out the other side. The shot from the 76mm had completely decimated the cockpit, disrupting the electronics and killing Gates instantly. Knowing that the palladium reactor could malfunction and cause a powerfully damaging explosion, Kaname moved the Arbalest closer to the downed Venom, putting up the Lambda Driver field in an attempt to contain the explosive effects. Brilliant flashes of light erupted from the Venom, and as the palladium reactor went critical, the protective field around it expanded to contain the fierce explosion within. When the light receded, all that was left of the Venom was heavily charred and scattered within a shallow crater that dug itself into on of the cities' many large intersections. Kaname could feel her whole body shaking. Her breath was becoming ragged by her lack of adequate rest, and her hair felt heavy and stringy. Interrupting her quiet moment, she heard AL speak again.

-All Venom Units have been eliminated Miss Chidori-

"Thank you for your help AL. I know Sousuke would be proud of you."

-Question: When will the search for Sergeant Sagara commence? I am anxious to have my original operator back-

"I understand AL. We'll do everything we can to find him. Will you please protect me until then?"

-As I have stated before, the protection of one, Kaname Chidori, is within my mission parameters. Therefore, I will protect you until such a time when the Sergeant has been located-

"Thank you AL. Really, thank you so much." Kaname's voice quivered as she spoke, another wave of tears falling down her cheeks. Taking her arms out of the controllers, she covered her face as she cried. Her breath hitched when she heard AL's response.

-It's not a problem Miss Chidori- Still feeling her body shaking; Kaname's mind finally processed what had just finished happening to the fullest extent. She had killed five people today. She had taken away their lives, and to her horror, it had been very simple. Because of her, there were maybe five families that would never know what happened to the men and women she had fought this morning. The realization hit her like a tone of bricks, and instantly she could feel herself hyperventilating. The Arbalests health monitors started going off, alerting the other SRT members that its pilot's heart rate had sped up exponentially.

Reacting quickly, Melissa ran her M9 over to the Arbalests position, sending a signal for it to open the cockpit for her. Once she was able to climb on top, Melissa pulled out the panicking Kaname and held her tightly, trying to calm down the overexcited young woman. As the Gebo Team arrived to pack up the M9s and the Arbalest, Melissa and Kurz carried Kaname on board one of the transport choppers. Unable to calm her down enough to avoid hyperventilation, Kurz was forced to give Kaname a tranquilizer to put her to sleep. Both SRT members stared out over the horizon from inside the chopper with Kaname laying across Melissa's lap, still wondering just what had happened to their missing comrade, and what would happen to the girl he should have been protecting.

A low and constant beeping sound echoed slightly as Kaname began to wake up. Her eyes slightly stung, and her whole body felt heavy. Carefully opening her eyes, she was thankful that the lights were down low enough that the sting didn't increase. With a quiet grunt, she tried sitting up. Kaname had to rub her temples at the massive headache that overtook her as she came up from the pillow. Glancing at her surroundings, she saw that she was hooked up to a heart monitor and IV drip. A paper gown was all that covered her, and her cheeks turned a deep pink as she wondered who had undressed her. Hearing a rustling sound, she pulled back the curtain next to her to find Melissa asleep on one of the empty medical beds. Kaname sat confused for a moment before her memories of the last few days came crashing back to her. Her shoulders started shaking again as she brought her hands up to cover her face. The heart monitor began beeping louder as Kaname's pulse quickened, stirring the sleeping Melissa from her rest. "Kaname?"

"I…I killed them! I'm a killer! Oh god Melissa! What would my Mother think of me now!? I've taken people's lives!" Kaname's body shook with her heavy sobbing, though reason told her that no amount of tears could ever erase what she had done. Melissa moved to sit on the edge of Kaname's bed and wrap her arms around the frightened girl. Stroking her long hair, Kaname continued to sob into Melissa's dark tank top. Hearing the door, Melissa turned to find Kurz coming in with trays of covered food from the mess hall. Both waited patiently until Kaname's sobs had begun to subside before trying to talk to her.

"Kaname, you really need to eat something. You've used up a lot of energy."

"Seriously Kaname, listen to Mel. From what we heard, you haven't eaten or slept in almost two days when we brought you aboard."

"W-Where am I?"

"You're on board the Danaan in the medical bay. You were on the brink of suffering from poor nutrition due to your high stress levels, and were on your way to having one hell of a bad cold. We had you hooked up to an IV so you could start receiving vitamins while you slept." Kaname stared at the deep grey metal walls around her as she listened. Her eyes still stung a bit, but at least her muscles weren't as heavy as they had been a few minutes ago. That didn't stop them from feeling like jelly though. Clearing her throat, Melissa reached over and grabbed a glass of water for her. After a quick drink, she cleared her throat once more.

"Have they found Sousuke?" Melissa looked over to the chair where Kurz sat, leaning forward with his forearms on his on his legs. Knowing each other for so long, Kurz knew exactly what she wanted of him. Repositioning her self on the bed beside Kaname, Melissa held an arm around her shoulders. Moving the chair closer to the bed, Kurz finally met Kaname's sad gaze.

"We haven't been able to look yet Kaname. After we finished off that last Venom, all of us were ordered to pull out ASAP. Last I heard, Tessa was working on getting permission for the Intelligence Department to send in a few agents and do a search in the city. We haven't really heard anything else yet." More quiet tears slowly streaked down her face as she listened. Sousuke was still out there somewhere, still unaware that she was alive and well. And worse yet, he was probably blaming himself for it. Shifting to once again rest her head on Melissa's shoulder, Kaname wiped away some of the tears that continued to fall.

"Kaname, we're gong to do everything we can to find him. This was all a horrible misunderstanding, and we want him back as much as you do. But we're going to have to wait and see what Tessa is able to do before we make any moves."

"What do you mean Melissa?"

"Kurz and I are mercenaries Kaname. Every mercenary has something of a safety network set up in case we need to move quickly. Weapon makers and distributors, safe houses, bank accounts in false names; the list goes on. They're always set up so that we have contingency plans for whenever things go wrong. Sousuke probably mentioned his to you before at least once, am I right?" Kaname thought about it for a second, going over every conversation she could remember having with Sousuke. Finally, she nodded in understanding. Sousuke had once said something about working with Belgian military suppliers to develop next-gen weaponry, but considering that the Bonta-kun A.S. had been the product; she hadn't thought he was serious at the time. "So even if Mithril won't do anything, you can count on Kurz and I to try what we can using our contacts."

"Yeah, between Mel and me, that gives us at least 150 some odd locations to start with. And just imagine how many people they could probably get in touch with too. The numbers keep going up no matter what." Hearing what they told her was finally giving Kaname a faint amount of hope. But the farther they got from Hong Kong, the more she continued to worry.

After eating the food Kurz had brought her, Melissa had Nurse Goldberry paged to make sure Kaname would be alright beyond what they could see. Once her check up had been done, Kaname laid back down to rest more. Nurse Goldberry had told them that though she was recovering quickly, Kaname would need to rest to gain back the strength that she lost. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Kaname could feel her eyelids getting heavy again. "Hey Kaname?"

"Hm?"

"You want Mel and me to stay with you?" Weakly, she shook her head. The motion had brought back a twinge of the headache she'd woken up with, so she kept the action brief. "Alright then, we should be docking at Merida sometime late tomorrow morning."

"You can stay with me in my bunk until we figure everything out, okay Kaname?" With a sleepy nod, Kaname's breathing began to slow. Knowing that they had done all they could for the moment, Kurz and Melissa walked out into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind them.

By the time they had arrived at Merida, Kaname was feeling well enough to handle things on her own. She was till recovering mentally though, as she had gone from innocent school girl, into a fighter who had taken lives. She still cried about it, but she kept it mostly to herself while in the shower, so no one could tell the difference between tears and the hot streams coming down on her head. She felt even worse after Melissa had told her what Yang had written in his report. She had missed Sousuke by less than five minutes, and she had decided to fight instead of looking for him.

Kaname sat patiently in the mess hall as Melissa picked up some food for them. She still couldn't believe that they had missed each other within such a small timeframe. Lost in her thoughts, Kaname didn't notice when Melissa set the tray of food in front of her until she had waved her hand in front of her face. "Kaname, you're not still beating yourself up about all this, are you?"

"…"

"Should I have not told you about what Yang's report said?"

"No," Kaname shook her head fiercely. "I'd rather know what happened than be left to wonder about it."

"I guess. Not knowing lets your mind think up some pretty nasty shit, so I suppose finding out the truth would help keep most of those thoughts away." Melissa watched as Kaname pushed some of the peas around on her plate. It was almost painful to watch as Kaname stared into space instead of acting like her usual self. Trying to at least find out what Kaname had hoped to plan after everything settled down, Melissa spoke up again. "So Kaname, what do you think you'll do now?"

"Hm?"

"You know, until we find Sousuke." Melissa noticed that Kaname's hand seemed to flinch slightly at the mention of such a tender subject. But if they were ever going to get things done, Melissa was sure that Kaname was aware that she would need to toughen up a bit more. Waiting while Kaname took a drink from the soda she'd brought her, Melissa sat patiently.

"I'm going to do whatever I can Melissa. Even if I end up having to search the whole world, I'm going to keep looking for him. I know he would have done the same for me."

"Then what exactly do you plan on doing? I know you don't have the type of money or resources as the rest of us."

"Unfortunately, that's something I need to discuss with Tessa first."

"Discuss what with me first Kaname?" Never noticing when she had come in, Tessa stood near the booth where Melissa and Kaname ate their lunch. Her Captain's uniform was clean and pressed as always, and her hair wrapped up in the long braid that curved to sit gently on her shoulder. "I-I'm sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"No, it's fine Tessa. I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes Kaname?"

"When is your next meeting with Mirthril's higher-ups?" Kaname waited as the surprised looks on both Tessa and Melissa's faces eventually calmed back down. Nothing was going to get in her way anymore. Kaname had a plan, and even if that plan made her see and do things she never would have even dreamed, she had already made up her mind. She would find Sousuke, regardless of where he was, and she would bring him home with her to Tokyo where he belonged.

"I-I actually have to meet with them later this evening to report the full situation with Hong Kong. Why?"

"I'm going with you. There are a few things I need to say."

"Ah! But Kaname, I-I'm not so sure about this…"

"Please Tessa?" That was it. Tessa crumbled when Kaname looked up at her from her seat with a semi-defeated look in her eyes. As long as she had known Kaname Chidori, she had always been a remarkably strong, both in mind and body. But when she had sat there and looked up at Tessa with those dull brown eyes, Tessa knew she had no right to refuse the other girl's wish. Kaname deserved to speak to them, even if they weren't aware of it, because when it came down to the bare facts, it was because of them that Kaname was here now.

Tessa had been able to feel that something like this would happen. And in reality, she couldn't blame Kaname for wanting to take more control of the situation. She could have been killed while Sousuke was recalled, and it would have been Mithril's fault entirely. Honestly, Tessa really didn't want to let Kaname speak to the council. One wrong step and they could tear both of them to shreds. Tessa could be stripped of her rank and both of them could be handed over to Research and Development for study. That especially wouldn't sit well with the two girls, as a very important person to both of them was somewhere out there, suffering all by himself. Hoping for the best, Tessa looked back into the dulled brown gaze of her friend. "Alright. I'll take you with me when I go to my meeting with the council."

"Thank you Tessa. That really means a lot to me."

"But I want you to understand that this is a very big gamble Kaname. The men in that room are very powerful people, and they could make it so that you and I end up as nothing more than subjects to be studied by the R&D Department. Are you willing to chance that?" Tessa watched as the defiant life crept back into the dark haired girl. Tessa had said exactly what Kaname needed to hear. Making almost any situation sound like a challenge, even Melissa was able to tell that Kaname would do whatever it took to get her way in the meeting room.

"I understand Tessa. It may only be at school, but I've kept my position as Vice-President for a very good reason. Whether or not it's on a recognizable level, I am very familiar with the workings of politics. I'm aware of the risks. I'm also aware that if I don't do everything in my power to find him, it'll be as if I never bothered to try." Both women stared as the now determined look that covered the sadness in Kaname's face. It was a volatile mixture in her, and only a fool would want to attempt dissuading her from what she needed to do. Melissa and Tessa could also feel the intoxication of being near someone fueled by a true mission, and the feeling that they could be invincible if they tried began to spread. "Sousuke has always made sure I understood that he would give his life for me if necessary Tessa. I refuse to do anything less for him in return."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Icy Reception**

April 15th – Seven Months Later near the Coast of New Zealand…

Kaname was bored. Actually, bored was an understatement, but she couldn't think of any other way to describe it. She had already done her physical training that morning, met up with Mao and Closeau for her hand-to-hand combat lessons, and had already broken down and reassembled her Beretta M9 pistol so many times that she could probably do it in her sleep. Now as she lay reclined on her bunk, located down the hall from Melissa's quarters on the Danaan, Kaname was starting to feel restless. She had to find something to kill the hour and a half left until the mission briefing with Kalinin, but there was absolutely nothing to do. Rolling onto her back and crossing her legs, Kaname stuck a lollipop she had saved in her desk into her mouth and stared at the cold metallic ceiling, losing herself in her thoughts of the past few months.

It was still difficult to believe that her presence in Mithril's conference room had caused that much of a stir. Tessa still congratulated her from time to time about how she had put General Amitt in his place without raising her voice. Apparently, seeing the full effects of the decisions they had made, Lord Mallory had been sympathetic toward her. It was one thing to plan something out on paper, but General Amitt had been too full of himself when he had claimed that Wraith was more than enough protection for one Whispered girl. But when Kaname had made herself known, even Admiral Borda had seen that the General was in way over his head.

Kaname had kept her promise to Tessa though, she remained diplomatic to the very end, and thankfully, it had paid off. The only X factor had been that Kaname had not planned everything out as fully as she initially thought. With the council granting her three workers from the Intelligence Division to search for their wayward Sergeant, in return, they had assigned her to be his temporary replacement. Kaname really should have seen that coming. Being the first to successfully operate the Arbalest without Sousuke, she really shouldn't have been as surprised as she was when they ended up giving her his former position. She still felt odd about it though; answering to names like Urzu 7, and Sergeant Chidori were never things she'd thought she would ever hear.

Twirling the lollipop in her mouth, she glanced at the clock again. She still had a little over 45 minutes until the briefing. Sitting up, she swung her legs over the edge of her bunk and began tying the laces on the standard issued military boots they had given her. It had taken a while to adjust, but even with seven months of wearing her new Mithril issued clothes and spending her free time either in combat training or writing reports, it still felt a little odd. What she wouldn't give for a good old-fashioned shopping spree with Kyoko through the endless amounts of shops in Shibuya and Shinjuku. Kaname made sure to make a mental note that she would never again poke fun at Sousuke for performing so much upkeep on his personal weapons cache. There wasn't really a whole lot to do on the sub in between missions _except_ performing maintenance upkeep. It was getting annoying. Once finished with tying her boot laces, Kaname put her Beretta in her shoulder holster and walked out of her room.

With nothing better to do, Kaname headed toward the main hangar to do an early check up on the Arbalests maintenance reports. At least then she could sign off on them and make the next mission preparation go a little smoother. Shaking her head as less than pleasant thoughts tried to invade, Kaname made her way down the long hallway. Her long azure hair had grown several inches in the past few months, and now reached a little over mid-thigh length. She hardly ever wore her bow anymore, though when she did, it brought back nostalgic feelings. Kaname still wasn't sure if the feelings were pleasant or not, as the associated memories were mixed, but she figured that being able to feel anything besides constant sadness was a positive thing in the long run.

She'd been taking hand-to-hand combat lessons with Closeau and Mao when they had a free hour or two, and Closeau had told her that she was making excellent progress. She would probably be almost on par with him by the end of the summer if she tried. Kurz had been helping her with her weapons training, most specifically the training with her M9 Beretta pistol. It had taken quite a few tries to get a feel for the weapon, but Kurz assured her that she was making a very impressive effort. She could almost hit every single target presented to her now, even the ones that moved. Although, even with her continued progress, Kaname felt numb on the inside. It felt strange that anyone other than Sousuke would be teaching her any of this, and she still wasn't able to banish the loneliness from her heart. Finally reaching the hangar, she climbed up into the Arbalests cockpit, powering it up so she could converse with AL for a while. A few beeps later, the main start-up screen filled the small room with a light green glow. "Hey there AL, how've you been?"

-Greetings Miss Chidori. How are you today?-

"A little better than yesterday actually. How about you?"

-My repairs have been completed, and I am now operating at optimum efficiency-

"That's good to hear AL."

-Question: Has any progress been made on the location of Sergeant Sagara?-

"Not yet AL. Intelligence is still working on a few leads, and we still haven't heard anything from Melissa and Kurz's contacts." Kaname couldn't stop the sadness that seeped its way into her voice. Seven months of searching, and still they had nothing. They had made sure to cover all their bases too, using every last name they could remember to search for Sousuke. Both Melissa and Kurz's contacts were told to be on the lookout for anyone under the names: Sousuke Sagara, Sousky Sagal, and Kashim. Every time they came back with nothing, Kaname could feel a little more of herself fade away. A light beeping brought her back from her depressing thoughts. "I'm sorry AL, what was that?"

-I merely asked if you would like to listen to the music files I downloaded for you. The play list is quite impressive- Despite her somber mood, Kaname giggled a little at the pride in AL's voice at what he had done.

"Sure Al, show me what you've got." Bringing up the list on the monitor, the speakers began to play the first song. AL seemed to have realized that she wasn't in the best mood, as when the track started, it sounded like a sad song.

Lost in the darkness, hoping for a sign.  
Instead there is only silence,  
can't you hear my screams?  
Never stop hoping,  
Need to know where you are,  
but one thing is for sure,  
you're always in my heart.

Kaname could feel her heart skip a beat at the familiarity of the words that poured out of the speakers. Slowly wrapping her arms around herself, her mind betrayed her, displaying memories she'd rather have locked away until after she'd fallen asleep. The few times that harmless punks had tried to hurt or kidnap her, the random explosions around school; and the handsome, scruffy young man that had either caused or saved her from such instances.

I'll find you somewhere.  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day.  
I just need to know whatever has happened,  
the truth will free my soul

The girl singing had managed to crack the walls Kaname had placed up around her heart since that day seven months ago. Kaname could feel the tears lurking behind her eyes, her face already felt warm as her memories began to surface. Her throat felt tight, and Kaname felt a strong connection with the words of the song. She would continue to search for him, no matter how long it might take. Since that horrible day seven months ago, she'd finally come to terms with the fact that she had fallen hopelessly in love with him. Saying such things in conversations with Melissa and Kurz, and even with Tessa at times, the only thing it did anymore was place a light blush across her cheeks. Tessa had been just as hurt when she had found out the whole story, but had reassured Kaname that if they ever did find him, that she wasn't about to place any blame. She had also felt incredibly guilty for the thrashing she had given Sousuke in her office; finally confessing to Kaname one evening what had happened, and how sorry she was for letting her jealousy get the better of her. The instrumentals in the song continued to tug mercilessly at Kaname's heartstrings, making it harder to fight the tears that begged to fall.

Lost in the darkness, try to find your way home.  
I want to embrace you and never let you go.  
Almost hope you're in heaven so no one can hurt your soul.  
Living in agony cause I just do not know  
where you are.

Unable to hold it back any longer, Kaname's tears broke free and drew wet trails down her cheeks. A quiet sniffle came from her as she drew in a sudden breath, the powerful emotions caused by the words was almost overwhelming. Her shoulders shook as she wrapped her arms around her tighter, drawing her legs up to bury her face within the comfort of her own physical heat. Even if it had only ever been in her dreams, Kaname fiercely wished that Sousuke could be there to hold her just then. Curled up in the chair of the cockpit, Kaname sat hoping for anything to make her feel as safe and wanted as she had whenever she was with him.

I'll find you somewhere.  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day.  
I just need to know whatever has happened,  
the truth will free my soul

Wherever you are, I won't stop searching.  
Whatever it takes, I need to know.

I'll find you somewhere.  
I'll keep on trying until my dying day.  
I just need to know whatever has happened,  
the truth will free my soul.

The song finished in what Kaname could only describe as an emotional instrumental piece. Unwilling to let anyone witness the amount of tears she still shed over losing Sousuke, Kaname stayed hidden in the Arbalests cockpit until it was time to attend the mission briefing. Somehow, she felt closer to Sousuke whenever she sat there. Letting herself cry a while longer, she continued to let AL play the other songs he had downloaded for her. The only other sound in the small area was the faint hum of the working circuitry.

April 15 - Rooftop in Paris, overlooking the Champs Elysees…

Leonard sat back and sipped at his glass of fine white zinfandel; his client sitting across from him did the same as they had come to a mutual agreement on the payment of needed materials. Things had gone well in Leonard's eyes; in exchange for use of some of the old warehouses near the wharf to store new Chodarl's until their pick up time, Amalgam would supply them with a fair few of the newly enhanced Anti-ECS missiles, as well as a few upgraded Savages. All in all, another deal had been sealed flawlessly. Sneaking a peak around his shoulder, he spied a quick glance at his bodyguard.

Ever silent and watchful, the young man stood stiffly awaiting his next orders. Dressed nicely in a pair of pressed black slacks and collared shirt, his dark trench coat fluttered in the cool evening breezes. Although it seemed as if he was staring off into the glittering lights of the Paris skyline, his dulled grey eyes caught every movement from the man sitting across from his employer. His hair had grown longer in the five months that he had worked for the young Whispered boy, and the back of it now ruffled past the bottom of his collar. Every time he had been asked to cut it, he had told them off; and he reacted violently should anyone even attempt to touch the deep mahogany locks. One unfortunate man had made the mistake of taunting him with a large pair of scissors, accidentally cutting a few strands off before his friends could convince him to leave the young man alone. A while later, those same scissors had been found somehow buried in the man's windpipe. It had taken three of the cleaning staff to sufficiently clean all of the blood from the hallway. Needless to say, Leonard had not been pleased.

However, the pure effectiveness of his new bodyguard could hardly be contested against something as minor as not wanting anyone to touch his hair. He had made it abundantly clear that no one was to lay a finger on even a single strand, and considering that he had had only three demands when he had been hired, Leonard had decided to let that one incident slip by. Besides, as it was, it had only taken one incident to prove that any threats made by the young man were not to be taken lightly. Placing his glass back on the table, he cleared his throat to get his bodyguard's attention. "Mr. Sagara?" Always the quiet and stoic type, Sousuke simply turned his head to look at Leonard, waiting for him to finish what he wanted to say. "I believe the transaction has been completed for today. Alastor will continue to watch over me, please go ahead of us and ready my car." Not bothering to speak, Sousuke turned and walked through the shining glass plated patio doors and back into the lush hotel lounge. Making his way down to the lobby, he leaned back in the elevator and stared at his reflection in the polished metal doors.

Already it had been seven months, and he still couldn't fully believe that _she_ was really gone. His own dead eyes stared back at him through the metal of the doors across from him; the only emotion they carried these days was sadness and a welcome for death's sweet release. He'd had only three demands when he had contacted Leonard, and so far they had been fulfilled. He had made sure that no one was to even think about touching his hair. Ever since that beautiful day when a sweet Japanese girl had done it for him, he refused to erase the final link he had to her by cutting free the strands that she had touched. Another demand was that in no way was he to be asked to operate any Armslaves, or perform any terrorist activities. Just because he had turned his back on Mithril and trying to live his life, didn't mean he would deliberately try to take away millions of others. It simply meant that he didn't care enough to attempt stopping it anymore. The final demand would be completed in five days time. He had told Leonard that, under no circumstances, was he to be asked to perform any jobs on April 20th. That day held reverence in his heart and mind, as the day he had met an angel; one that had shown him the beauty of the simple things in life that one doesn't get to experience on the battlefield. He could still see the beautiful picture of her face as she stood on the train's platform as the sun had begun to set, remarking about how he was such an 'odd bird'. The memory of her sweet laughter filled the small space of the empty elevator, and the pain emanating from his heart seemed to almost choke the very air out of him.

Reaching the lobby, Sousuke walked over to the valet and handed him the ticket for Leonard's town car. As he waited, a couple passed by him, their happy faces and loving glances making him envious of the affection they shared. His mind playing tricks on him again, the couple was replaced by a hallucination of himself and a rather attractive young woman with long cerulean hair. Blinking away the image, he reached into his pocket and tightly grasped the small object within. Taking the small object out to reacquaint himself with it, the crystal blue from its small form shone brightly under the hotel lights. The night breeze spun the small dolphin in his hand as it dangled from its chain, and for a brief moment Sousuke lost himself in the memory of blue haired girl in a pure white bikini as she ran through the surf on a shimmering summer day. Shaking his head to free his mind of far away memories, he felt his heart clench painfully again. Placing the small keychain back into his coat pocket, Sousuke took the car keys from the valet and stood next to the dark vehicle, waiting for Leonard to wrap up his meeting.

He didn't have to wait long, as Leonard and the Alastor unit came through the lobby doors within a few minutes. Sousuke still despised the man, as he still carried himself with a self-righteous air of pure arrogance; and if he had ever met him on the battlefield, Sousuke knew exactly who he would kill first. Making sure that none of his thoughts reached his face, Sousuke opened the door to the town car as Leonard stepped in. Leaving the rest to the Alastor, he walked over to the driver's side and started up the vehicle. "We should be thankful that your services were not needed on the venture, shouldn't we Mr. Sagara?" Using the excuse that he was focusing more on his driving, Sousuke merely grunted in response.

Leonard wore a secret smile as Sousuke drove him through the brightly lit streets of Paris. As soon as he was safely within the walls of his hotel room, he would send another e-mail to his beloved Kaname Chidori. Perhaps this time she might respond more favorably to his advances, allowing him to treat her to a nice dinner. _'She would look absolutely exquisite under the setting sun in Rio De Janeiro,'_ he thought as he watched the scenery pass by. Leonard felt the excitement flow through him as he pictured her in a long flowing dress, the fabric glittering like the starlight around her delicate curves. Glancing to the front of the vehicle for a moment, Leonard resisted the urge to find out what would happen should Sagara ever discover that she was alive. Brushing his long silvery hair aside, he reasoned that if things were to happen according to his plans, Sagara should never discover the truth. Besides, those with nothing left are sometimes the easiest to manipulate.

Finally coming up to his hotel, Leonard waited as a valet walked around the car to open the door. As he passed by the driver's side window, Leonard smirked to himself. He could clearly read the open disdain on Sousuke's face, the hatred radiated off of him so much that it seemed to be something of a second skin. With an air of smug satisfaction, Leonard turned to address the young man still sitting behind the wheel. "We leave on the transport chopper at 6am sharp Mr. Sagara. Feel free to do as you wish until then." Nodding, Sousuke revved the car's engine and took off, not bothering to acknowledge his employer any further.

Carelessly, Sousuke weaved through the evening traffic as he sped down the highway. He may have taken the well paying job of being Leonard's bodyguard, but that certainly didn't mean he had to like the man. May times, he'd considered how simple it would be to wait until those Alastors were conveniently absent, and putting a bullet through Leonard's skull. _'Scratch that,'_ he thought as he swerved in front of a Mercedes Benz. _'Make that twenty bullets.'_ Driving his way out of the city, he pulled onto the shoulder of the road overlooking the shining city and parked. Once the vehicle had been turned off, Sousuke sat in the silence of the night and gazed off over the city. This was the only part of his job that was worth while. With every new city, there was always a new view to look out over as his thoughts drowned themselves in his faded memories. Pulling out the small blue keychain once more, he lost himself as images of a beautiful girl with hair like the sky flew by his mind.

April 19th 1815 Hours – Tuatha De Daanan Briefing room 

Kaname sat next to Melissa as the lights dimmed for the briefing presentation, the quiet chatter in the room slowly dieing. As the screen lit up with a topographical view of a long mountain range, Lieutenant Commander Kalinin stepped forward. "Good evening, we have called you here tonight because the Intelligence Department has discovered a hidden Amalgam facility, located in an isolated pocket of the Himalayan Mountain range. To the best of our knowledge, we believe this facility can house approximately ten Venom Armslaves, as well as maintenance parts and personnel. The facility must be destroyed at all costs. As of this moment, Intelligence is debating whether or not any or all personnel should be detained for questioning. Normally the higher ups wouldn't hesitate in matters that were this clouded, but we must also consider the possibility of attempts similar to the Gauron incident. Those employed by Amalgam may be just as calculating and ruthless, and it could be more of a security risk to detain them than it would be to either kill them or let them go. So be prepared for either situation." He paused as the screen shifted to isolate a few images captured by satellite photos.

"These are the three main buildings for the facility. The two located east of the runway is the largest on site, therefore it has been determined that this is where they are keeping their Venom types. The slightly smaller of the two is less than a few kilometers away, so it has been suggested that this would be the Venom's Armory and Equipment cache." The screen shifted once more to focus on the final structure. "This is most likely the housing structure, and due to the nature of our assignment, must be destroyed unless contrary orders are given. Are there any questions?" The room remained silent. Kaname was somewhat surprised at this, as usually Kurz or any of the other guys would have found a few seconds to crack a joke or two. "Then I will give the floor over to Captain Testarossa." Tessa stood up from her seat to the far right of the screen, a look of apprehension on her pale features. Kaname felt a chill run up her spine. Tessa looked nervous about this mission, but no one had said anything to indicate something out of the ordinary.

"Because of the isolation that this location provides, we are as of yet unable to determine if they currently house pilots with the ability to use and operate the Lambda Drivers within the Venoms. The location also will prevent the Danaan from providing rapid support, so be sure that all of your Armslaves have sufficient weapons and ammunition. A copy of a theoretical situation similar to this has been sent to your e-mail, so please be sure to review it carefully. This is the first step we must take if we are going to wipe the threat of Amalgam from the world. After this, we will officially be at war for the future of mankind. I hope each of you will do your best out there, and remember, no one dies without my express permission." Light chuckles filled the room, as the serious air that had permeated the conference room seemed to clear up. "Thank you, you are dismissed."

Stretching as she stood, Kaname felt the uneasiness in her belly grow at the thought of the mission. _'Possibility of ten Venoms huh?'_ she thought as she watched Kurz joking with the other guys in the corner. _'At least I know they have my back for this.'_ "Sergeant?" Her attention now focused, Kaname turned to find Kalinin staring down at her. Her mind clicking back, she registered what she needed to do. Standing quickly, Kaname saluted to her commanding officer with a quiet 'sir'. "I wonder if I may see you in my office for a moment. There are a few things I wish to discuss with you."

"Of course sir." Following Andrei out of the meeting room, Kaname tried to think of a reason why he would want to speak with her like this. For the last few months, the only time she'd ever been in his office was when Melissa and Bel wanted to update him with her progress; even then, she wasn't alone. Stepping into the older man's office, he offered her a seat on the metal chair opposite his desk. Once the mission files had been put aside, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Sergeant Chidori…"

"Sir."

"Do you feel ready to accept this mission?"

"Sir?"

"I understand that you are under obligation by the higher ups to act as Sousuke's replacement for now, but don't think that anyone here is kidding themselves. The fact of the matter is that when it comes right down to it, you are still a civilian among soldiers. None of us want to see you hurt or killed."

"I understand sir."

"That is why Miss Chidori, should you decide that you are not ready to perform your duties, I hope you would say something and make us aware so that proper counter measures can be planned." Breaking eye contact, Kaname's gaze fell for a moment while she thought about the mission. Though the odds were stacked higher than in previous missions, Kaname could understand why Kalinin wanted to make sure she could handle it. She still wrestled with her guilt over taking human lives, but like Kurz and Melissa told her, it had been either her or them. Absently, her mind conjured what Sousuke had told her about never hesitating when facing an enemy. Bel had only reaffirmed this, as he had told her that even a moment's hesitation could give your enemies the opening they need to try killing you. Fighting her inner fears, she lifted her gaze to meet with Kalinin's cool, composed face.

"Being ready is irrelevant Sir. I'm not a civilian anymore; I've been a soldier since the day I fought back in Hong Kong. Soldiers don't run away." Kalinin stared back at the young woman. Her normally soft chocolate eyes were hard and cold as she responded, and though it was answer he needed to hear, part of him wished she had said differently. _'Sousuke really has no idea just how alike you two are,'_ he thought as he reached over to open a manila folder.

"Very well Miss Chidori. Just please keep in mind that although you are the only one using the Lambda Driver, you will not be alone in this battle. Weber, Mao, and the rest of the SRT will be there as well. They will not abandon you, regardless of the situation."

"I know Sir."

"Then you are dismissed. Make sure you sign off on the Arbalests maintenance reports as soon as you are able. And be ready for tomorrow afternoon." Standing swiftly, Kaname saluted and turned to exit the somewhat roomy office. As she reached for the door, she heard Kalinin address her once more.

"Sir?"

"Don't be reckless out there tomorrow. When we finally find Sagara, I want to be able to give you back to him without any problems." A small smile reached her face as her hand grasped the cool door knob. She felt warm at the thought of those who she had only known for a few months worrying about her as if she had known them for years. It was instances like that that made her see more clearly why it had never truly bothered Sousuke to have only comrades his whole life. _'Because sometimes, they're the only family you have,' _she thought sadly. A stray tear made its way down her face, but instead of wiping it away, she simply squared her shoulders and cleared her throat.

"It's not a problem Sir."

April 19th 1830 Hours – Somewhere over the Black Sea

Sousuke stared aimlessly out the window of the small jet. His other hand was buried deep in his pocket, clutching the keychain as if it was the only thing keeping him alive. In truth, that was simply how it felt at times. The majority of the time, he lost himself in his memories of Tokyo, a school filled with kind people, and a girl with a red bow in her hair. What time wasn't spent thinking back on those wonderful times was mostly filled with possibilities for how he could end his pain. He couldn't do it himself; _she_ would hate it if she knew he had died that way. So far no one was dumb enough to try and kill Leonard. That was something he couldn't understand in the least. Sure, the Alastors were intimidating, but they couldn't be everywhere at once. Sousuke still wondered why Leonard had asked him to be his bodyguard in the first place. With his Alastors around, it wasn't as if he needed one, and just the excuse that a human bodyguard was sometimes needed for more aesthetic purposes was getting suspicious. It was a simple matter to conceal the identity of the Alastors until a needed time. Hell, he'd been shown them in a similar fashion, but it wasn't until they had done something to attract attention that he realized they weren't human.

Everything made him irritated and feeling nauseas these days. From his seat two rows behind Leonard, he stared daggers into the back of his head. Idly, he pointed his fingers to act as an imaginary gun, his thumb clicking down before his wrist bounced back; simulating a gunshot to his pretty silver head. The feeling that he was keeping certain details from him irritated Sousuke to no end, and in the back of his mind he felt as if he should be somewhere. Lately though, he had dismissed such thoughts as repercussions of his powerful memories. After all, there were times when in the dark of night, as he lay in his bed unmoving, he could have sworn he felt small delicate fingers weaving themselves through his lengthened hair.

The strong feeling as though someone was watching him crept up the back of his neck. Turning his eyes toward the isle, he spied the scanner of Leonard's Alastor focused squarely on his seat. His anger and irritation grew quickly, but the machine was finally being put to good use at least. As the saying went, keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer; Sousuke was fairly certain that Leonard shared his feelings of utter disdain. It was never something that needed to be said, but ever since Leonard had to speak with him about the incident with the scissors, Sousuke knew that Leonard hated him just as much. Sousuke had heard him speak under his breath as he walked toward the door to Leonard's office and Whispered or not, it was more childish than anything to try covering up something that you'd meant to say behind someone else's back.

Wanting even a little bit of retribution, Sousuke raised his hand and flipped off the Alastor trying to stare him down. A few minutes later, Leonard stood over him, waiting to be acknowledged. When Sousuke ignored him in favor of staring out the window, Leonard cleared his throat. "Mr. Sagara." Turning an eye his direction, Sousuke continued to sit in silence. "We will be landing in Novorossiysk in under two hours. There is a Venom delivery we must oversee."

"I told you. I want nothing to do with those machines."

"You won't be doing anything with them Mr. Sagara. We are simply delivering a few units and spare maintenance parts. I will need you on your guard when we land to change planes. Amalgam does not have many allies on this side of Russia."

"Whatever."

"Our flight will take us to one of our facilities in the Himalayan Mountains, once there you can do as you wish. If all goes to plan we will only be there for two days." Realizing he wouldn't get another answer, Leonard went back to his seat for the remainder of his flight. Sousuke continued to look out over the darkened horizon, a part of him filled with apprehension. After they boarded the carrier plane in Novorossiysk, the feeling increased, but this time it was laced with something else. Something he hadn't felt since he had taken his seat in a transport chopper with Mao and Weber, heading to Tokyo for the first time.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Frozen **

Amalgam Himalayan Facility – April 20th, 1525 Hours 

The cold of the air was biting his skin, and the winds flew harshly through his dark hair as he stood on one of the many exterior walkways. His cheeks were wind burned, and the tips of his fingers had turned pink almost ten minutes ago. He didn't register the cold, his eyes only focused on the small blue dolphin he held reverently in his palm, the tiny snowflakes making the plastic glitter in the shade of the great mountain. He had arrived the day before with Leonard to deliver two Chodarl units and a batch of replacement parts for the maintenance team living in the facility. As it was now April 20th, it was Sousuke's mandatory day off, and he was not to be bothered with anything on this day. He had been adamant in his demands for being Leonard's body guard, and there would be hell to pay if any of them were left unfulfilled. Turning his head, Sousuke looked aimlessly over the vast snow covered mountain range; the brilliant white contrasting with the cool blue of the sky that peeked through the partially clouded day. The sight of the freshly fallen snow caused his heart to clench for a moment. His mind was busy, bringing up a particularly pleasant memory of a beautiful girl with long, sapphire locks.

'_She always looked beautiful in white…' _

The facility had been built in the shadows of Rakaposhi Mountain, part of the Karakoram Mountain Range in Pakistan, and just one small portion of the great Himalayan Mountain range. The majority of the facility was actually built into the mountain, but three buildings had to remain separate from the main operations center. While the operations center inside the mountain contained the communications towers, generators and experimental laboratories, the three exposed buildings were the housing for the workers, weapons cache, and the Chodarl Storage building. Sousuke purposely kept his distance from the latter buildings; he had been serious when he had said that he wanted nothing more to do with Armslaves, thankfully he hadn't so much as been in the same room with one for almost seven months now. The wind started to pick up, causing the cold to penetrate through the thick leather of his trench coat. Placing the small key chain back into his coat pocket, Sousuke turned to head into one of the lounge areas that overlooked the seemingly endless Mountain tops.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Somewhere Southeast of Rakaposhi Mountain - April 20th, 1525 Hours

Already in their AS suits, Kaname sat near Melissa and Kurz as the cargo plane carrying their Armslaves neared the drop point. Kaname still felt nervous; despite her conviction to completing the mission she was assigned. A strange feeling had settled in the back of her mind, almost feeling akin to a sense of déjà vu, yet different somehow. The high freezing winds had been causing a fit of turbulence every few minutes, causing a few of the riders to feel slightly sick to their stomachs. Kurz had already emptied the contents of his less than twenty minutes earlier, but regardless of the relief that it had caused, he still looked a bit green. Kaname looked around the massive cargo plane hangar, still amazed at the sheer size of it.

The immense carrier was able to fit all three of their Armslaves, and another was flying behind them carrying Closeau, Sandraptor and Hummer with their units as well. The carriers themselves were tall enough to be able to let the Armslaves stand completely erect, as well as barely brush their fingertips against the ceiling if they wanted. They all still had another thirty minutes until they were close enough for the drop, but with the air sickness caused by the rough winds, it was feeling like an eternity. Another jolt rocked the carrier, and Kaname had to labor her breathing to keep her light breakfast down a little longer. Melissa tried to help by rubbing her back, but even she looked like she could hurl if things kept going as harsh as they had.

Kaname had tied her hair back with her favorite bright red bow that morning, feeling as if it would be important to have it with her today. Tying it off at the base of her neck, the rest of her long azure hair fell free to the middle of her thighs. Though it was cold in the carrier, thankfully the AS suit she wore was helping to stave off most of the draft. Kaname smiled at the memory of when they had presented it to her for her birthday. Tessa had had it made special for her, fabricated in white with deep blue stripes on the shoulder pads, hips and shins. Before they had given it to her, Kurz and Melissa had taken some special paint and put a pair of tribal wings on the back in a similar blue color. When she had asked why, Kurz had merely smiled and replied, 'Every angel needs her wings to fly'. Their acceptance of her had made her cry that day, and Kaname hadn't realized until much later that if she wore the suit and stood near the Arbalest, that they almost looked like a pair. With their matching color schemes, both operator and machine could be discerned from the rest of the group due to their unique abilities.

Kaname was knocked out of her thoughts when she heard loud music starting to come from the open cockpit of Kurz's M9. Unable to contain her laughter at his choice of songs, Kaname only laughed harder when Melissa went to beat him up. Apparently she wasn't a fan of Europe's 'The Final Countdown' as much as he was. "You turn that shit down now! You hear me Weber?"

"Aw, come on sis. Don't be such a tight ass. We've still got like a half hour until we need to be ready to drop."

"Why can't you ever play good music then? Are you tone deaf or something dip shit?"

"I could be with you screaming my name…*smack* Ow! That hurt!"

"Stuff it asshole!"

"I'd like to but you won't let me."

"I swear Weber, you keep this up and I'm gonna kill you before we make it to the drop site!"

"Ooh, I've always dreamed of dyin' in the arms of a beautiful lady."

"Stupid son of a-"

"Come on Mel, chill out a bit. I'm just having some fun."

"This isn't fun Weber! This is a mission! We're supposed to be preparing ourselves!"

"Seriously Mel, look at us. We've been sitting in this cold, drafty monster for almost an hour. How much more prepared can we get until it's time to go? Everything's already loaded, and the only thing we haven't done is just sit in the cockpit waiting for our confirmation." Kurz looked quite the picture sitting on the shoulder of his M9 with his legs swinging off the edge in his usual playful manner. It never ceased to amaze Kaname that he was able to retain his carefree personality, especially since he was probably one of the world's best snipers. It took nerves of steel alone to be able to look through the scope and be able to pull the trigger, regardless of what you saw on the other side. Some targets could have their family members there, or look completely innocent through the magnified glass. But the cold hard truth had always remained, no matter what he witnessed through his scope, Kurz always completed his assignments. It was a constant reminder to Kaname that while she still had to deal with knowing she had taken life, if she had been in Kurz's shoes, she would have had to deal with seeing the immediate results with a front row seat.

"Yo, Kaname! You in there?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry about that. What's up Kurz?"

"You're looking kind of dreamy over there Angel. If you're not careful I'll have to try and steal you away from our favorite Sergeant Somber." Kaname felt a light smile come through at his playful flirting. While it had bothered her before, now she witnessed it as a reminder that while many things had changed, at least these two had stayed the same. "So can I play something for the pretty lady?"

"Sure, you have any Gackt in there?"

"You betcha!"

"Redemption, if you have it please."

"An excellent choice, from an excellent lady. Redemption, coming right up Angel." Seconds later, the large area was filled with the loud j-rock playing from the speakers of Kurz's M9. Kaname had chosen the song on purpose. It had been on one of the CD's that she had first lent to Sousuke back in Tokyo. As the song played, her mind brought up the look he'd had on his face that day. It had been a mixture of surprised comfort, as if he had understood that she had picked it out especially for him to hear. He couldn't have been more right. Kaname knew the song well, as Ryo had always been a huge fan of the artist's music. A familiar warmth started to gather from behind her eyes, signaling that if she wasn't careful she could cry at any moment. Taking a deep breath didn't help much, as when she let it out her throat tightened. Trying in vain to stop the slow rivers making their way down her face, Kaname kept trying to wipe them away before her team mates could notice. However, a light sniffle she couldn't ignore any longer alerted the other two occupants, causing them to glance back at her with worried faces. Kaname felt embarrassed when she spied the looks they cast on her.

"I'm sorry guys. I sniff I didn't mean to…it just, sort of sniff happened." Still trying to wipe away the tears, Kurz came over to kneel in front of her. Giving her a friendly smile, he reached over to ruffle her bangs.

"Come one Kaname, you should know by now that you don't have to hide when you need to cry."

"I-I know…it's just sniff…I don't know anymore guys. I just miss him so much…I wish those guys in intelligence would hurry and find him. God I must look so pathetic right now." Melissa came back over to drape an arm over her shoulders as she cried. Both of them understood how she felt perfectly. It may not have been on the same level, but they all cared for Sousuke, and each of them had been dealt a horrible blow when he had disappeared.

"I'm sure they're doing whatever they can Kaname; you just have to give it time. We're looking for a needle in a haystack, so it might take a while."

"Weber's got a point Kaname. We're talking about finding one person in a world of almost seven billion. It's gonna take a little time, no matter how you look at it." Melissa continued to rub Kaname's back while her tears flowed, Kurz remained silent as he went over to the supply wall to bring back some tissues for the distressed girl.

"I know, but it's still hard. I just keep thinking how he must be suffering out there…blaming himself like he always does when things go wrong." Kaname looked back at the sniper kneeling in front of her. It had surprised her to hear him break into a fit of chuckles, but it _had_ helped to lighten the mood somewhat.

"We know that all too well Kaname. Trust me, Mel and I have seen enough of his tantrums to know how he can get. A couple punches usually did the trick, so I'll have to open a good old fashioned can of whoop-ass when we finally drag his ass back here. Hell, you and sis can even sell tickets if you want. But worrying like this isn't going to find him any quicker."

"Yeah, I know you guys are right. But…"

"No more 'buts' Kaname. You need to get a hold of yourself girl. We certainly can't give him back to someone who's weak-kneed and cryin' all over the place can we?" Kaname smiled under the tears, the rivers from before beginning to dry.

"No. Sousuke would be mad if he thought I would give up so easily."

"Fuckin'-A Kaname; so do whatever it takes to keep that smile on your face. If anything, maybe if it's the first thing he sees when we track his sorry ass down, he'll grow a pair and tell you how he really feels."

After calming down a bit, they all sat and decided to fill the remaining time with amusing stories about their experiences with their missing friend. No one was surprised when Kaname had more amusing stories about Sousuke then anyone else, but then again, he'd always been in his element when he was with Kurz and Melissa. With Kaname, it had been like a classic fish-out-of-water case for the poor young soldier. The schoolyard had been a battlefield that no amount of preparation could allow someone to adequately adapt to, let alone someone with Sousuke's upbringing. While recalling the time Sousuke had blown their way into the classroom to help Kaname avoid being late for class, the announcement they had been waiting for finally came over the loudspeakers. "The aircraft is nearing the Drop Zone; all Pilots please board your M9s now. Repeat, The aircraft is nearing the Drop Zone; please board your M9s now."

Making sure for the final time that they had all the weapons they could handle, the three SRT members boarded their mechs. Powering up their machines each made sure to test their radios and articulate movements, making sure that the joints hadn't become too cold to function. Kaname was feeling that sense of déjà vu again, though she still couldn't place why. _'I don't get it,'_ she thought as her hands gripped the controls through her gloves. _'I've never been to this part of the world before, why would I be feeling like this? Could it be a feeling of just another mission?' _Hoping to shake off the strange feelings, Kaname activated the control panel. "Are you there AL?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori; how are you today?-

"I'm…alright. How about you AL?"

-I have been downloading more music for you based on your tastes in my spare time. Question: Would you like me to play some of them for you?-

"Not right now AL. We have a new mission today; will you be able to protect me while I do what I can?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

"Thank you; check the data link and make sure that a full copy of the mission parameters has been downloaded. Set the bi-lateral angle to 3.5, and run a full system check. Be sure to set the power levels to maximum output, and begin Lambda Driver activation."

-Roger. Processing requests- Kaname waited as patiently as she could, it was difficult to focus when she wasn't sure what was distracting her. As AL continued to scan through his systems, Kaname glanced over to the picture she had placed at the corner of one of the display monitors. Kyoko had taken it on one of the school's sports days. Everyone was supposed to participate in three sports events of their choice, and she had to admit, it had been a really fun day for all of them. The picture had been taken at the end of the softball match, and despite being covered in sweat; they all still had huge smiles plastered on their faces. That is, all but one. It was a wonder to her that she had never noticed his smiles until after he had disappeared. While glancing through her photo album, he was always near her, and in the photos where she had been at her happiest, a small grin would be present on his face. Kaname smiled as she stared at his picture, that same almost indecipherable grin showing from behind his dark auburn hair.

-Requests Processed Miss Chidori. All systems are operating at optimal levels. All mission parameters have been downloaded in full. Power levels have reached Maximum Output. Lambda Driver is operational.-

"Thanks AL. Let's kick some ass out there!"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori-

The chill inside the carrier grew to freezing temperatures as the back of the plane opened; giving the three pilots a bird's eye view of the freshly fallen snow miles below them. "Urzu 2 to all units, you guys ready?"

"Urzu 7, roger."

"Urzu 6, roger. Let's rock this casbah!" All three mechs moved to the back of the carrier with their guns held tightly in their robotic hands. The winds whipped fiercely as the each leaped from the plane with their ECS activated, making sure they counted to three before releasing their parachutes.

Amalgam Facility Lounge Area – 1600 Hours

Sousuke reclined in the cushy lounge chair near the window as he stared off into space. He was starting to have a strange feeling in his gut; almost as if he was only being shown a small portion of a larger picture. He'd also gotten the suspicion that Leonard was the one holding that larger picture purposely out of focus for him. It wasn't helping his frustration to find out that the gym that was on site was locked down for repairs either. Two long days worth of just lying about and doing absolutely nothing had never been his idea of being productive. Besides the 28 inch television in the corner, there was nothing he had to keep himself occupied.

Reaching into his pocket, he ran his fingertips over the smooth surface of the small blue dolphin. Turning his head to stare out the window, he felt his throat tighten as yet another memory decided to torture him. The faint thoughts of how beautiful she had looked when he walked into the hospital room after the hijacking incident plagued him now. The sun shining off of her long and slightly tussled hair had framed her in a golden glow; it had mostly been by sheer willpower that he'd been able to find his voice to tell her that he would still be with her. Though it had been almost eight months now, his memory still recalled her lyrical voice as if he had just spoken to her moments before. The lingering smell of the food heated from the nearby microwave had him closing his eyes and breathing deeply. The smell invoked some of his more calming memories, many of them as simple as when he had sat at her dining table, watching her prepare food for them both. The faint spice in the air reached his nose, and had him recalling the scent of whenever she made him his favorite curry rice.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open. Turning his gaze through the window, he scanned the snowy mountains and the small valley between where he was and the three exterior buildings. There; he'd felt another slight tremor on the edge of the windowsill. Moving slowly, Sousuke reached over and unlocked the brace. Sliding the glass open only half an inch, he leaned in and breathed deeply. _'Ozone,'_ he realized. _'Took Mithril long enough to find this place. I guess that means I should find where that smug bastard is hiding so we can make a hasty exit.'_ When the tremors began to be more noticeable, he ducked under the windows and made his way out of the large break room. Once in the hallway and out of sight of the windows, Sousuke walked quickly to the research labs. He couldn't care less if Mithril caught him really, but he'd been hired to do a job, and regardless of how much he loathed his employer he would perform that job whenever he was required to. Finally reaching the research labs, Sousuke located Leonard at one of his computer stations. "What do you want Mr. Sagara? I would have thought that I would be the last person you would want to see on your only mandatory day off."

"You would normally be correct, the facility is under attack. Since it is my day off, by all means I could just leave you here."

"Something is stopping you?" Leonard turned his head to look up at the young mercenary. Both were more than aware that if it wasn't for the job that Sousuke was performing, they probably would have already tried to kill each other. The look on Sousuke face said as much quite clearly.

"It wouldn't be good for business." Leonard had to smirk at his response. Sending off his e-mail, he closed down his window and stood to face Sousuke directly. With a light flip of his long hair, Leonard placed his hands in his coat pockets.

"I see. I once told you that we were more alike then you realized; do you understand now?" Sousuke's eyes grew cold at the look Leonard had on his face. Leonard usually had a look of superiority; one that told the world that no matter what they would attempt, that he would always be better than them. This time however, it seemed as if by looks alone that Leonard was keeping something big from him. His iced brown eyes seemed to mock Sousuke with an almost childish amusement. Turning around to divert his attention, Sousuke fixed the collar of his coat before speaking.

"Say whatever you want; but I am nothing like you." Watching Sousuke as he began walking out of the research lab, Leonard smirked. He glanced back at the computer screen he had been using before turning and following his bodyguard out to the landing strip.

He had just completed an e-mail sent to Kaname; one that he hope she would read fairly soon. Before when he had sent her letters, he had just been trying to wear her down into having dinner with him, or meeting him for a romantic getaway. This time however, he had included a clue at the end. Using an old proverb, Leonard was counting on Kaname's ability to decipher the meaning to what he had written. The proverb he had chosen was one he found himself living at the moment; 'Keep your friends close, and keep your enemies closer'. Staring at the back of his bodyguard's head as they walked, Leonard relished in the phrase's truthfulness. Kaname Chidori was his love, the one woman with whom Leonard wished to share the world with; Sousuke Sagara though, he had been Leonard's enemy from the start. The boy had always been a thorn in his side, acting as nothing more than a brainless barbarian whenever provoked. Yes, Sousuke Sagara was someone whom Leonard needed to keep within his sights, if only to make sure that he was unable to interrupt his plans. The tremors continued to grow as they made their way to the air field, and Leonard could feel his anticipation grow when he was told that it was indeed Mithril that was causing the chaos. _'A most interesting day indeed.'_

Outside the main facility, Kurz and Melissa were working on destroying the housing and Weapons cache. Kaname had taken her own initiative and charged at the two Venoms that appeared as they came out of ECS mode. AL continued to feed her data as she focused on projecting the Lambda Driver into both defense and offense. Leaping backwards, Kaname was able to focus the Lambda Driver into the shots made by her boxer shot cannon, taking out one Venom with a single shot to the torso. The second pilot was faring to be just as simple to defeat. Drawing from the many science fiction films she had watched before, she decided to take a new approach and go in for a head on assault. Taking two shots to both of the leg joints, Kaname jumped to land on the Venom's shoulders as it fell. Gathering a growing energy field in the Arbalests right hand, she held it up to the Venom and released it into a single blast that left the machine in more pieces than rain man could count.

"Urzu 7 to Urzu 2, two Venoms have been destroyed. Awaiting further orders."

"Roger that 7, keep on guard for more until we're sure that the hangar has been destroyed."

"Roger Urzu 2; Urzu 7 on defensive guard." Kaname took a deep breath as she tried to push away the nagging thoughts that wracked her mind. She now had two more to add to her kill count, and she would more than likely add more to that list before the end of the day. A fact she was not proud of, but one that would follow her for the rest of her life. The idea that she had a 'kill count' to begin with was unsettling as it was, but Kaname couldn't change any of that now. A loud beeping sounded as AL alerted her to three more Venom units that had started up. "Urzu 7 to Urzu 1, three more Venoms spotted, I'm gonna need two distractions while I finish off the first one."

"Roger that Urzu 7. Urzu 6, head up the side of the mountain and take up a sniping position. Urzu 4 and Urzu 5, move in and provide Urzu 7 with back up. I'll assist Urzu 2 with destroying the Weapons cache and Venom hangar." Receiving responses from Roger and Hummer, Kaname targeted the first Venom and began to focus the Lambda Driver into the boxer shot cannon.

Kurz climbed as quickly as he could up the side of the icy mountain side. His M9's grip on the mountains snow covered rocks was slippery at best. The steepness of where he was headed made the rooftop of the facility an ideal sniping position, but the fact that there was no other way to make it up there had him both envious of the builders and pissed off that he had to climb it alone. Stopping for a moment to reposition his rifle, Kurz continued up the slope with his internal music playing loudly.

With just a little luck  
A little cold blue steel  
I cut the night like a razor blade  
Till I feel the way I want to feel

There's a raging fire in my heart tonight  
Growing higher and higher in my soul  
There's a raging fire in the sky tonight  
I want to ride on the silver dove  
Far into the night

"Gotta love the little things in life. Nothing like a sweet guitar riff to get the blood pumping!" Kurz remarked to himself. Continuing his climb, he finally made it to the top of the small, ice covered ridge overlooking the valley. Setting his rifle into position, he had just made sure his scope was in focus when a series of loud beeps alerted him to check his eleven 'o'clock position. Turning his head, he was able to get a view of the elevated airfield just across from him on a separated outcropping. Three transport choppers had landed and were idling as they waited for their passengers. "Urzu 6 to Urzu 1 and 2, we got transport choppers up here; you want me to take 'em out?" Before he could hear their responses, his exterior cameras zoomed in to focus on the people that were walking onto the air strip. The moment his eyes focused on the screen, Kurz's blood ran cold.

His clothes were different than they used to be, and his hair was longer as well. But there was no mistake in Kurz's mind about who he saw. He even went so far as to toggle the cameras into maximum zoom just to make sure, and sighted an unmistakable scar across his jaw. Walking behind what looked like possibly a boy with long silvery hair was none other than Sousuke.


	7. Chapter 7

**I know I've been horribly quiet throughout this fic so far, but I wanted to send out a huge thank you to everyone whose either reviewed or put alerts on this one. Its my first fic with lots of angst and action, and to know that others can enjoy it really helps. Everyone should make sure to also thank Cyrstal Okamino, as she has been a big help on more than one of my chapters so far. So thank her by reading her stuff! I promise its good! Anyway, hope you all enjoy and thanks again!**

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**Chapter 7 – Mourning **

Acting quickly despite the shock that ran through his veins, Kurz turned his rifle and took out one of the transport choppers nearest the entrance to the flight dock. The resulting fires from the explosion now blocked off the entrance, the other two choppers now hovered over the area as they awaited confirmation to land once more for their pick up. Kurz could hear Closeau yelling at him over the radio, but none of the words he'd said were registering. His brain went into overload as all of the questions he now had rushed to take up space at the forefront of his mind. Shaking his head free of the many questions, he kept his vision glued to the fiery remains of the single chopper he'd just destroyed. Without needing to turn his head, Kurz switched to a separate frequency and ordered the A.I. to contact the Arbalest. As soon as it alerted him that the line was connected, Kurz turned on his internal speakers. "Hey Kaname! Babe, are you there?"

"I'm a bit busy right now Kurz! What is it?"

"It's Sousuke!" Kaname faltered, the action allowing the Venom she currently faced to knock her back into the snow against the hangar. She'd knocked her head sharply during the impact, the action also forcing out the air in her lungs, and had to take a second to focus. Her brain reminding her that she needed to breathe, she almost coughed at the rush of oxygen that suddenly forced itself into her. Her blood stood frozen in her veins as her ears rung with the news Kurz just told her. Sousuke. He was here. Sousuke was alive, and he was here! When the realization fully hit her, she fumbled with the controls for a moment before she remembered where she was.

"AL! I need you on autopilot for a minute! It's important!"

-Roger. Auto Pilot Mode Activated Miss Chidori-

"Kurz are you sure it's him?"

"Serious as a heart attack babe. There's no doubt in my mind who that guy is." Kaname's mind was reeling. Of the many ways she had imagined that she would see Sousuke again, this was certainly at the very bottom of her list. Finally recovering as best she could, Kaname reactivated the manual controls to attack the Venom that was advancing on her. With a fierce determination, she charged forward and literally punched a hole through the mech's stomach. The Arbalests arm was stuck a moment as she shook the now still Venom unit free. Roger and Hummer began to back away from the Arbalest as Kaname forced her way to the other two Venom's that had appeared.

"Kurz! Do whatever it takes to keep those choppers away from the landing strip! I'm coming as fast as I can!"

"Roger that Urzu 7, I-….Shit!"

"What is it Urzu 6?"

"A Venom popped up right in front of me! I gotta retreat!" Kaname felt her frustration building. He was so close, for the first time in almost eight months he was within her reach. If she could only get to him, she knew everything could work out fine. Jumping as high as she could, Kaname focused the Lambda Driver into the Arbalests hands. With a quick mid-air twist, Kaname grasped both Venom heads and released the force field down through the opposing units; the result looked almost as if she had vaulted over large pillars of prismatic light before the units were destroyed. Making a hard landing a few hundred yards away, Kaname aimed the grappling mechanism over toward Kurz's position. Locking on the Venom that had gotten the drop on him, she launched the grappler. Once it had wrapped itself around one of the Venom's ankles, Kaname gave the cord a hard yank, dragging the Venom down the craggy slope and causing massive damage to the unit.

"Urzu 7 to Urzu 1, Five Venoms eliminated. I have a job I need to do, everyone stand back and offer support fire!"

"Hold on Urzu 7, you don't hold that kind of authority. Only myself or-"

"Either help me or get out of my way! We've spotted Sousuke!"

"What?"

"You heard me! Urzu 6, make sure those choppers never land!"

"I'll do what I can Kaname!" Kaname had the Arbalest running at close to its top speed, but as soon as she neared the base of the slope, four more Venoms leapt in to block her way.

"Dammit! Get the hell out of my way!" From her position down below, she could see the two remaining choppers as they circled above the landing strip, waiting for a second to make their move. The four Venoms scattered and tried to come at her from all sides. Shots whizzed by in all directions as Kaname tried to find a way of getting up to the top of the slope. When a few shots connected, the Arbalests fingers lost their grip on the icy rocks and fell back into the valley below. "AL, d-damage report."

-Damage taken to left shoulder; positioning software is malfunctioning; Critical damage taken to Right knee joint; Speed reduced to 57%-

"Shit!" Managing to make the Arbalest stand, Kaname raced toward the nearest Venom. Reaching a decline in the terrain, she slid down the slight hill and shot the first Venom five times before the mech collapsed and exploded in a fiery inferno. As Kaname made her way toward the next Venom, she heard Kurz panic over the radio again. "What is it Urzu 6? Respond!"

"Another Venom got the drop on me! I'm pulling out! He already took one of my arms!" Kaname felt her jaw clench as she stared at the three remaining Venoms that now opposed her. Her anger continued to grow by leaps and bounds; it was almost as if they were purposely keeping her from getting to the landing strip. Not paying attention to the Venom that had chased Kurz off the ledge opposite the landing strip, it managed to get a direct shot at the Arbalest between the shoulders. The Lambda Driver absorbed a portion of the impact, but the worst of the damage had been done to the hatch system. The heat from the shot had caused the cockpit hatch to activate the emergency lock and forced itself closed; and with the cockpit in danger, AL's systems deduced that Kaname Chidori was also in danger.

-Severe damage to hatch locking mechanism. Switching to Auto Pilot to avoid further incidents-

"What the hell? What are you doing AL?"

-I am overriding the manual systems and taking control of the Arbalest Miss Chidori-

"I didn't authorize that AL! What the hell do you think your doing!?"

-I am doing my duty. I am ensuring the safety of one, Kaname Chidori-

"Fuck your duty AL! I have to get to that landing strip!"

-Negative Miss Chidori. The situation is too dangerous for me to allow further attempts-

"You useless fucking piece of shit! Get me to that air field right NOW!"

-Negative Miss Chidori- Kaname struggled against the Arbalests controls as AL took the mech into auto pilot mode. Literally punching the control panel, Kaname watched as AL used the auto pilot to target and begin to destroy each of the Venom units that were left. Her anger and frustration coming to a head, she screamed as the tears fell down her face, her already painful fists still hitting the display monitors.

Moments earlier in the Hallway leading to the Landing Strip…

Sousuke followed Leonard as two Alastors led the way down the hall to the landing strip. People were running up and down the hallway trying to either figure out what was happening, or trying to find out what they should be doing. Sousuke just focused his gaze forward, his disdain regarding his employer and the 'company' he worked for rising quickly in his gut. _'This is the feared organization that was always one step ahead of Mithril?' _He watched as a young janitorial worker ran in their direction, only to trip and fall over his own mop and bucket. _'These people are pathetic. Even during Gauron's stunt on the TDD-1, we were far more organized than these fools.' _

As they reached the exit, the landing strip was being cleared of the few inches of snow and ice as quickly as they were able. Using heated and heavily salted water, the landing strip was gradually returning to its near black color. Three transport choppers could be seen approaching just over the top of the mountains ridge, the light powder of the fresh snow blew wildly as they passed by. Waiting with Leonard near the exit, Sousuke glanced over to the ridge across from the landing strip. In all honesty, he couldn't say he was surprised when the movement he had caught in his peripheral vision turned out to be Kurz's M9, but the thought that he would have ever seen them again to begin with had his blood running cold. Sousuke wasn't ready to see either Weber or Mao, and he wasn't sure if he ever would be.

As the three choppers came down for their descent, Sousuke caught Kurz's M9 taking aim with its rifle. Waiting for just the right moment, Sousuke gripped Leonard's hair and yanked him down to the ground just in time to avoid being engulfed in the flames that erupted from the nearest chopper. Sousuke had to contain the first smug grin he wanted to have in a long time. As Leonard lifted his head to glare at his bodyguard, Sousuke realized that he had made Leonard fall face first into a puddle of machine oil. Thick, inky black liquid stuck to his hair and face as it slowly dripped back down to the pavement. "What did you think you were doing Sagara!?"

"I was merely doing my job Mr. Testarossa. I was protecting your life," Sousuke replied. The look on Leonard's face was priceless, and Sousuke found that he would be relishing that moment for many months to come. Watching as Leonard picked himself off the pavement, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone. After a quick conversation, he hung up and continued watching the opposite ridge where Kurz still sat with his sniper rifle. A few seconds later, one of the Venom units appeared and tried to chase him off the ledge. Just when it looked as though Kurz would meet his end at the unit's hands, a grappler came up from below and wrapped around the Venom's ankle. With a forceful yank, the Venom was ripped off of the ledge and thrown down the side of the rough slope. Leonard looked frustrated as he took his cell phone out once more and ordered that a back-up unit be sent to replace the one that had been ripped from the ridge.

The next unit that appeared had approached while still under the cloak of his ECS, surprising Kurz's M9 and forcing his opponent to retreat. With the immediate threat cleared, Leonard signaled the transport choppers to make a hasty descent. Not bothering with touching down, Leonard and Sousuke boarded the chopper with both of Leonard's Alastors in tow. As the chopper rose to take its passengers to safety, Sousuke looked out the window to view the scene still playing out beneath them. His eyes widened as his gaze locked onto the Arbalest. _'What the hell…?' _He had never seen the mech move the way it did now. Moving with an almost athletic grace, it seemed to be made of air as it destroyed another two Venom units.

Sousuke's mind went into overdrive. Recalling every piece of information he had ever gone over about the complexities of the ARX system, his mind kept coming back to the fact that no matter how advanced the machine was, it still needed a pilot to operate. But if he had been the only one to pilot it, who was the one operating it now? Or more importantly, how had they been able to make it so that someone else could pilot the Arbalest? One of the last conversations he had had with Captain Testarossa was that since the developer had committed suicide, no one else was able to change the settings on the ARX-7. Which brought Sousuke's train of thought right back to where it had begun: Who was the pilot?

Leonard looked over to take in the scene of the battle that occurred below them. When he realized that the Arbalest was the one causing their problems, he knew he had to come up with some kind of reasonable excuse for it to be here and operating under a different pilot. Settling back into his seat, he sighed as he began to wipe the thick oil from his face. "Interesting; Mithril must have discovered a way to alter the ARX-7 operator settings," he said in an offhanded manner. Out of the corner of his vision he noticed Sousuke turn slightly and look at him in disbelief. Still, even on the off chance that Sagara was an intelligent human being, far off chance that it was, he should know better than to dispute the subject of Black Technology with a Whispered. It was as unheard of as questioning the Deep Thought Computer about why the answer about life, the universe, and everything was 42. It just didn't happen. Hearing a quiet reply, Leonard went back to attempting to wipe the thick oil from his face and hair.

Sousuke sat quietly as he watched the Arbalest and the soon to be demolished facility disappear through the thick clouds that had gathered. He was staring to have a sick feeling in his stomach. He wasn't experiencing air sickness; his suspicions were starting to cause his stomach to churn. Leonard wasn't utilizing his highly paid services nearly as often as he had in the past, and coupled with the sight of the Arbalest on the battlefield without him was unsettling enough, even without the previous worry. Sousuke knew much better, and he had always been far smarter than Leonard would admit. If Mithril could change the A.I. settings on the Arbalest so easily, then why were they so adamant that he be the one to pilot it? Wouldn't they have rather the Arbalest go to someone leading the SRT? Mao and Closeau were prime candidates for that kind of responsibility, so why would he be deemed the only one if the settings were so easily changed? Sousuke shook his head in attempt to clear his head of the millions of interconnected questions that seemed to only grow in numbers as the days went by. Each one leading him back to the beginning; he was starting to understand just what _she_ had been trying to explain to him when they had been assigned to read and interpret _Alice through the Looking Glass_ for an English assignment. According to the Red Queen: 'It takes all the running you can do to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast.' Pushing what he could from his mind for the moment, Sousuke sat back in his seat as the clouds swept silently by his window.

Kaname felt her world fall apart as she watched the two transport choppers lift themselves high into the clouds. AL was still running on auto pilot as one more Venom was finally eliminated, dropping them down to three enemy units. The mental and emotional stress was becoming overwhelming for Kaname, and without warning, she slipped into a deep Whispered trance. Shutting off the auto pilot, Kaname's hands repositioned themselves through the controls and set her sights on the three Venoms. Her blank eyes reflected the monitors on front of her as she worked, oblivious to the tears now streaming down her face. Both the pilot and the Arbalest itself seemed to glow, and the Lambda Drivers readings were going off the scale. Slowly moving forward, the thin snow covering the rocks of the mountain seemed to melt under the touch of the Arbalests feet.

Colors seemed to flow over the Arbalests surface as it picked up speed and leapt into the air. Landing on the first Venom's chest, Kaname moved the mech's hand to crush the Venom's head before blowing a defensive field through the chest cavity. Targeting the nearest enemy, Kaname moved to the next Venom with surprising speed. Using the boxer cannon, she shot off each leg before moving to the arms and head. Leaning over, the Arbalest picked up the torso of the Venom and bent it backwards over its head before slamming it repeatedly into the craggy slope. Turning to locate the final Venom, she sighted it trying to retreat deeper into the valley below. Amplifying the boxer cannon with the Lambda Driver, Kaname shot right through the center of the Venoms hip structure, the pieces of sheet metal and wires flew everywhere as the legs detached from the main body.

The enemy pilot within the Venom cowered in fear as the Arbalest stalked its way over to where the mech had fallen. Using one large mechanized hand, Kaname peeled open the chest of the Venom to expose the pilot within the cockpit. The man shook his head and flailed his arms wildly, screaming frantically that he would surrender if they spared his life. The glowing green eyes of the Arbalest stared back at him coldly, watching him from over the prone form of his ruined mech.

Kaname was still under the trance of the Whispers, the tears still streaming down her face. In her trance she never heard the radio transmissions from her teammates as they called to her. Melissa and Kurz were trying desperately to reach her, both of them being able to realize that she wasn't herself. As the enemy pilot continued to try and offer his surrender, Kaname lifted the Arbalests hand and gathered the force of the Lambda Driver. Everyone held their breath as Kaname brought down the fist with the gathered energy. Just when she was about to release the field and blow the remains of the Venom to pieces, Kaname heard a soft voice inside her head. 'Miss Kaname, please stop this!'

'What do you want Tessa?'

'Please Kaname, enemy or not he's begging for his life! Please let him go!'

'Why? He's an enemy. He tried to kill me. His life is now forfeit.'

'No Kaname! You can't do this! What would Sousuke think if he saw you like this?!' That was the trigger, her head jerked up as the whispers began to fade from her mind. Kaname's eyes focused once more, the threatening fist of the arbalest slackened and fell to its side, the ball of concentrated energy dissipating into nothing. Switching to a safer mode of communication, Kaname heard Tessa's voice come through the internal speakers. "Please Kaname; just come back to the Danaan. Urzu 1, 4, and 5 can handle things from here." Unable to fight the sobs that now wracked her body from the emotional blow she had just taken, Kaname hunched over, bringing her legs up to hug herself within the cockpit as she cried. Melissa came over in her M9 and guided the Arbalest into the carrier plane. Once they had been able to pry the entry hatch open, Melissa had to practically climb inside in order to pull out the still sobbing Kaname. Kurz joined them soon after his M9 was loaded, and both of them did their best to comfort the devastated teenager.

Once back on the Danaan, Kaname locked herself in her bunk, and anyone passing by could still hear the sobs from the other side. Four days had passed, and no one had seen her leave her bunk. Melissa and Tessa were starting to worry, as it seemed that Kaname had not eaten or slept at all in that time. When she finally came out, Kaname looked almost half dead. Here eyes were sunken and red from crying and lack of sleep, and her skin was far paler than it should have been. She still refused to eat, and she avoided both Tessa and the Arbalest at all costs. Unwilling to take further risks to their friends' health, Kurz and Melissa had Kaname relocated to the medical bay so that nurse Goldberry could keep an eye on her. Once again, she had Kaname hooked up to an IV feeding her the necessary vitamins. They were fortunate that two days later Kaname had at least attempted to eat half of a poppy seed muffin, but her apatite was still far too low for anyone to feel comfortable yet.

After little change almost ten days after the strike on the Himalayan Facility, Melissa and Kurz decided to try their last resort; ask Commander Kalinin for a course of action. Both SRT members had hoped that something would snap Kaname out of her daze before their meeting, but as it was, they had little chance to hope for much else. "Sergeant Major Mao, Sergeant Weber, what has brought you two to my office today?"

"Lieutenant Commander Sir, we realize that this may be a bit unorthodox, but…well..."

"Yes Sergeant Major?"

"Y-You see…the thing is…" Melissa stuttered as she tried to find a way to explain. She had never been very good at the softer aspects of life, but for Kaname, she would damn sure try. Still, when she was at a loss for words, Kurz stepped in.

"We're at our wits end sir. We've tried everything we can think of to snap Kaname out of whatever rut she's fallen into, but nothing works! She just lies there all day with this dead look on her face! We've had nurse Goldberry examine her countless times, but she's in perfect physical health! We just…we don't know what to do anymore."

Kalinin sat with his hands placed neatly in front of him as he listened to two of his subordinates. From their countenance, he'd gathered that neither of them had been sleeping very well, if at all over the last few days. Both of them were obviously more than worried about Chidori, and it seemed as if the stress of the situation was beginning to take its toll on them both. Once Kurz had had his say, Andre cleared his throat before speaking. "Mao, Weber, you have both said that she seems to be in perfect health correct?"

"Sir."

"Have either of you ever experienced a broken heart before?"

"A broken heart Commander?"

"Only when a person has truly fallen in love can they ever experience the near paralyzing cruelty of a broken heart. My theory is that when Miss Chidori was unable to reach Sagara, despite how close by he was at the time, she may have lost any hope she had held onto related to seeing him again." Kalinin's gaze briefly fell to the small photo of his late wife that sat on the corner of his desk, his heart still aching at her loss. "Both Miss Chidori and Sagara had formed a deep bond in the time he was stationed in Tokyo. Neither had ever had a reason to put their full trust in anyone past a certain point in their lives. With so many obstacles in her way when Sagara was that close, it must have been her equivalent of the worst kind of torture. My guess would be that she feels that she will never be able to see him again."

"So then, what should we do?"

"For the both of you, I suggest a decent meal and retiring to your quarters early. I will visit Miss Chidori and see what I can do to reach her. The two of you are to take the next two days to recover from the overabundance of mental stress you've been handling. You'll be of no use to anyone if you get yourselves sick or killed over this." Dismissing Kurz and Melissa, Andre gathered his paperwork and put it away before leaving to head to the medical bay.

Kaname lay silently on the medical bed, staring blankly at the cold steel ceiling. The longer she looked, the less she tried at keeping another wave of tears at bay. _'Such a warm grey color…it's just like his eyes,' _she thought as the tears that had gathered at her lashes finally broke free. Trying to block out the world, she rolled onto her side and buried her face in her hands. Once it had felt like the torrent was subsiding, Kaname tried to dry her face with a portion of the sheet draped over her. Hearing a small click of the door, Kaname assumed that Peggy had probably returned from the mess hall to finish her daily paperwork. She was surprised when the scraping sound of one of the folding chairs reverberated next to her bed. "Good evening Miss Chidori. I came to see how you were faring." _'Commander Kalinin,'_ she realized. _'Great. I'm so pathetic that I even warrant my commanding officer to come and make sure I'm not dead.'_ When she didn't answer, Kalinin sat back in his chair and cleared his throat.

"Would it make you feel better to hear a story Miss Chidori?" Once again he received only silence. Though knowing she was awake, he decided to continue. "This story begins a long time ago. There was once a strong young man, somewhere in his twenties, who was called to assist with a search and rescue. The young man accompanied a group of twelve others, and they were to search a downed aircraft for survivors. There were only two when they arrived. They were able to save the life of a young boy, but lost the life of his mother. After a while, the man and the boy became friends, but the man knew the boy would have a chance at a happier life if he was sent to the national child care program. That was the last he thought he would ever see of the child." Kaname still lay quietly on the medical bed, but as the story progressed, she had gradually turned to lie on her back, occasionally looking over at him.

"A few years later, when the man had aged, he was called to action to fight for his country. While on the battlefield, he was surprised to see that the child he had helped to rescue was now a ruthless child soldier."

"They do that to children?" Andre turned when he heard her speak. Kaname had been so quiet that he could almost swear she had fallen asleep.

"Yes; they still do in some parts of the world." He saw her nod slightly, and when she turned her head to face the wall once more, he continued. "The man knew right away that the boy had been the same one that he had saved those years before, and while they held him in captivity, they gradually became close again. Later, the man was faced with a deep tragedy, and it caused him to lose his faith in the nation he served. Setting the boy free, the two of them escaped, and fought together for a few years after that. During a battle though, they were separated once again. Not knowing if the boy was alive or dead, the man continued on with his life. Years later still, the man continued to grow older, his memories of those dear to him that he lost as his only companions. Not long after finding some steady work, he and the boy were reunited again. For two years things had returned to some semblance of normality for the two of them, until one day, the boy received a special assignment."

"Special assignment?"

"Yes; one that would be extremely difficult and challenging, even at the best of times. However, this assignment would prove to also help the boy to learn about who he could be, and the boy to would end up finding someone with whom he could share himself with." After a few moments of silence, Kaname turned her head back to look at Andre as he sat rigidly in his chair. Seeing that he was not going to continue, Kaname waited a few more seconds before voicing her question.

"So, what happened to that boy? Did he complete his assignment?" Andre looked back at the girl lying in the medical bed. Her tears had stopped at least, but her normally bright chocolate eyes were still dull. Taking a deep breath, Andre stood and headed toward the door. "Commander …wait; what happened to the boy? How does the story end?" Andre stood still as faced the door. It took him a moment, but he finally found the right words to say to the young woman; the one who's fiery spirit reminded him so much of his late wife.

"I'm afraid that part of the story hasn't been written yet."

"Huh?"

"Maybe you can ask the boy that question yourself, when you're finally able to bring him home."

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**Sorry, I know I'm evil for leaving it off like this. I promise to have more soon though, so please be as patient as possible. For anyone waiting on an update to my other fic, 'Pieces of Yesterday', I have put it on temporary hold so that I can finish this one. Sorry, but I can't seem to get any farther on it without coming up with more for this one. I promise that it will not be left unfinished though. See ya!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Broken**

Kaname stormed her way down the hallway at Mithril Headquarters. It had taken her ten days to mourn her loss, and three days to recover from it. By the end of the three day period, she came out determined to get some answers. If it had been such a simple task to locate one of Amalgam's facilities, then why the hell was it so difficult to locate Sousuke? Furthermore, if locating him was that daunting of a task, then why was it as simple as putting an M9's exterior camera into focus? To put things plainly, Kaname was done with being angry, sad, and certainly done with crying; she was downright pissed off now! Kurz, Melissa, and Tessa followed her through the long hallways, the three of them acting as back-up and peace keepers for the impromptu interrogation that Kaname was going to put her intelligence team through. Bursting through the doors to their joined offices, Kaname's eyes scanned the room, locating all three of the people who had been designated to work for her. "Alright assholes! Front and Center!"

"Sergeant Chidori, this is highly irregular-"

"I _said_ front and center! **NOW!**" A chill shot up the backs of the two computer nerds that now frantically staggered their way over to stand in a line before the irate young woman. The third was an older gentleman, and he seemed to evaluate listening to Kaname's orders a moment before taking his time to put down his paperwork and join his two constituents. Idly, Tessa marveled at the authority that Kaname could produce from nearly anyone she met. _'Maybe I should ask for pointers sometime'_, she thought as she watched Kaname size up the three officers in front of her. "Now, I am going to be asking you a few questions; and if I have reason to suspect that you are either hiding something from me, or not telling me the truth, I'm going to let Sergeant Major Mao and Sergeant Weber practice their MCMAP techniques on you."

"B-but Sergeant, you don't ha-"

"One more word without my express permission and you won't live to see Christmas! You got that!?" The skinny officer with the near coke-bottled frame glasses nodded his head quickly. Clearing her throat, Kaname began again. "First question: How has the progress regarding the location of former Sergeant Sagara been coming along?"

"W-well ma'am, we h-haven't had really any leads to go on. You see, none of our contacts-"

"You can stop right there, mister…"

"A-Andrews, ma'am. Carl Andrews."

"Well Mr. Carl Andrews; why are you lying to me?" The look in her eyes was bordering on hellish as she stared the thirty-something man down. Even with a seven inch height difference, he was still very frightened of the young girl standing before him.

"I-I'm not…"

"Answer me right now or I'll give you a reason to take a close-up look at the hardwood floor! You will tell me why you were able to discover an Amalgam facility before you were able to find Sousuke Sagara! Why!?" The man was practically cowering before her, but Kaname's anger would find time for her to feel bad later. These three men had been ordered to find Sousuke, so why hadn't they said anything? Hell, Kurz had been more effective in finding Sousuke faster than these idiots! Just when she was about to throw Andrews to Mao, the older man on the other end of the line up coughed to get her attention. He was maybe somewhere in his sixties, but from the cut of his jaw, it was simple to tell that he had been cut from the same cloth as Kalinin. He was a former warrior who lived long enough to earn a safer position that would benefit from his years of wisdom. Kaname moved over to stand in front of the older man; his hazel eyes were hard and displayed an impressive spirit. "You have something to say mister…?"

"Indeed I do Sergeant. I am Lieutenant Neville. "

"And just what might that be Lt. Neville?" Kaname's eyes narrowed. This man seemed to radiate with a sense that he was entitled to say whatever he wanted, regardless of the consequences. If anything, with the situation being what it was, that pissed her off even more.

"We did not alert you to the location of former Sergeant Sagara's whereabouts because we were ordered not to."

"What? What are you talking about? You were told to work for me, and that means locating Sousuke Sagara!"

"And locate him we did. But once we had found him to be working for a high ranking Amalgam agent, we were ordered to observe him, report their movements, and record the names of all those he came into contact with."

"And who ordered this?"

"That's classified information that you do not have the authority to know."

"Tell me right now, or I swear you will find out just why I was cleared to remain on the West Pacific SRT."

"You do not have the authority to know that information _'Sergeant'_ Chidori. Threatening me will not work either, as we have all been ordered to secrecy." Kaname was starting to see red. Not only were they telling her that they refused to give her the information she wanted, but he was insinuating that she had no right to even hold her position! Kaname's hands clenched as she stood before the stubborn man. She was just about at her limit for unwanted bullshit, and if she didn't get what she needed, there would be hell to pay. "I'll ask you one more time Lieutenant; who ordered you to keep the information regarding Sousuke Sagara's whereabouts from me?"

"And I repeat _'Sergeant'_; you are not high enough for that information." Kaname's control was teetering on the edge, and the smug bastard in front of her wasn't helping the situation. She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but calmed slightly when she saw Tessa with a hard look on her face.

"Lieutenant Neville, please. If you are unable to tell Sergeant Chidori, then perhaps you are able to tell me. Who was it that ordered you to keep the information concerning Sagara from us?" Hard hazel eyes stared back down at Tessa from behind silver spectacles; and from the look he was giving her, she guessed that he was confident that he would never have to say a single word.

"I'm sorry Captain Testarossa. Even you do not have high enough authority to make me talk." A devilish smile played across Lt. Neville's face, making him resemble a demon out of purgatory. Kaname had had enough of this man and his so called orders. Moving swiftly, she stepped in front of Tessa and elbowed him in the side of his ribcage. When he lowered to grasp his side out of pain, she sprung upward and knocked him in the center of his face with her knee. As soon as he was thrown back, she kicked him in the center of his chest. Lt. Neville fell hard onto the thin carpeted floor. He lay there grasping his torso in pain Kaname moved to stand over him, waiting as he slowly came back to his senses.

"I'm going to ask you ONE more time. Who gave you the order to keep him from me?"

"Kaname please! You shouldn't have done that! You've just assaulted a superior officer! He could have you court-martialed!"

"He won't say a god dammed thing if Mithril doesn't feel like losing yet _another_ Lambda Driver pilot! TELL ME NOW!!" From how the older man now lay on the floor, it was more than painfully obvious that though he might have once been the same as Kalinin, that being in Intelligence for so long had made him weak. Having a constantly cushy job with no real chance at danger had left his reflexes slow and his body softened. Neville stared up at the young woman that now loomed dangerously over him. He could plainly see in her eyes that she would do what she had to in order to get what she needed, and that kind of determination was something he could respect. After a lifetime of constant battle and strife, he'd let himself get beaten to the ground by a seventeen year old girl. He felt his humiliation grow as he coughed out the name of the one who had ordered their silence.

"What?"

"Amit. It was General Amit; he said that since Sagara was a traitor, that Mithril would keep an eye on him. If he was suspected of giving up any of our secrets, he was to be eliminated."

Kaname's facial expression went from intense anger to a look of horror. _'Kill him? They were just going to kill him and let me suffer like this?'_ She was finding it difficult to believe that the same organization that wanted to protect the Whispered were capable of something that horrible. On the one hand she could understand perfectly the security breach caused by traitors, but Sousuke wasn't like that at all! Even if he hated Mithril, he wasn't the type to go around blabbing their secrets to their enemies. Furious, Kaname leaned over to look the downed lieutenant directly in his cold hazel eyes. "Now you listen to me, and you listen well. Whether he was a traitor or not is irrelevant. None of you have what it takes to kill Sousuke Sagara."

Neville spat out a small bit of blood that had gathered in his mouth after she had kneed him in the face, his pride still injured far worse than his physical body. Once meeting her gaze again, he spoke in low and threatening tones. "You think far too highly of him Miss Chidori. He is only a soldier; nothing more." Standing back up straight, Kaname glared down at the older man.

"You're mistaken in your assumption that I stated my opinion, Lieutenant Neville." Without another word, Kaname turned and threw open the door to the office, stalking back down the hallway she had come.

"Sergeant Chidori, wait! Sergeant Major Mao, Sergeant Weber, follow her and make sure she calms down." Saluting the small platinum haired girl, Melissa and Kurz rushed out of the office to catch up with their wayward friend and partner.

"Kaname!"

"Hey Angel wait up!" Turning, Kaname saw Melissa and Kurz jogging to catch up to her. "Nice drop kick there Angel! Wish I had thought of it first." Kurz patted her back as the three of them exited the building and headed for the recreation center to blow off some steam.

"Seriously, who the fuck does he think he is? Those three were assigned to work for you, and then they pull something like this? Fucking bullshit if you ask me!" Melissa punched her fist into other hand as she walked; pantomiming the actions she would like to take on Lt. Neville should they ever meet again. Kaname hardly heard a word as she went over to the corner where the punching bags had been set up. Melissa and Kurz sat back and watched as Kaname spent the next 45 minutes devoting herself to the sheer destruction of the poor sand bag that dangled on the chain in front of her. Almost an hour after she had arrived, Kaname was still punching it as if she had just started, and her two friends marveled at her stamina. When Kaname finally started to back off and catch her breath, Melissa brought over a water bottle that she had retrieved from the vending machine. "So, feeling any better Kaname?" The girl practically inhaled the liquid, giving her reply as her face displayed her frustration.

"I won't feel better until I can do what I just did to General Amit," Kaname choked out as the rest of the water ran down her throat.

"Calm down Angel, you know we can't let you do that. I know how you feel though, I wouldn't mind taking a chunk out of that rat bastard myself, but we gotta stay cool. Without Mithril's resources we'd be screwed trying to find him."

"I know Kurz, but that doesn't make it any easier to take. All this time they've known exactly where he was and what he was doing; I just want to be with him again. Is that _really_ so wrong?" Kaname turned to glance back at her team mates, an honest curiosity burning in her dark eyes. Melissa put on a warm smile and moved to hug the younger girl. Though she had never been the most feminine, even Melissa could understand that it must have been unbelievably painful to not be with someone you cared so much about.

"No Kaname, there's nothing wrong with you wanting to be with Sousuke. You two were practically made for each other. But the good thing is that when you two finally get your chance, you'll both be strong enough to endure anything else that might come along." Taking another drink from the water bottle, Kaname turned to stare out the large windows overlooking the shoreline. The dark storm clouds and occasional lighting bolt in the distance seemed symbolic in a way. Kaname could almost feel that like the storm, something was on her future horizon as well.

1850 Hours – Grand Hotel Versailles Rooftop Gym; Beirut, Lebanon

His skin was shimmering with sweat in the fading light of day as he completed yet another set of pull ups on the bar. Random droplets rolled their way down hardened abs and strong shoulders as they flexed, each movement emphasized with either a quick intake of breath or a light grunt. Finishing his two-hundred pull ups, Sousuke dropped to the floor to catch his breath. Reaching for a towel, he wiped the sweat from his face and collar as he walked to look out over the fading oceanic sunset. Taking a log drink from his water bottle, Sousuke moved to the treadmill, hoping to run off some steam for a few miles.

Leonard had been acting more insufferable and even more secretive lately. Since the attack on the Himalayan Facility, Leonard had taken to having an Alastor following Sousuke whenever he left his hotel room. This only confirmed Sousuke's suspicions that for some unknown reason, Leonard wanted him under constant surveillance. The complete lack of privacy and solitude was driving Sousuke up the wall. He had always preferred being alone, at least he had until the day he'd met _her_, but relishing in his own silence was something he'd come to enjoy over the years. The constant shadowing of the lone Alastor was only fueling Sousuke's suspicions and forcing his brain to slip back into the state of mind he had predominantly been in when he had been trained as an assassin in the KGB.

Primal feelings of survival and a constant eye over his shoulder had served him well in his many short years, but even this was starting to push Sousuke to his limit. At the moment, the Alastor of the evening was currently stationed just outside the door to the gym, waiting patiently for its target to finish his workout so that it could escort him back to his temporary quarters. Once finished with a three mile run on the treadmill, he moved out toward the pool area. Sousuke couldn't help but notice that the few women who were still out on their lawn chairs were practically undressing him with their lust filled eyes as he removed his black tank top, tossing it carelessly on a nearby chair. They weren't even doing a decent job of covering it up either; a few of them blew him kisses, while one leaned forward to expose her cleavage as she took a sip of whatever tropical drink was in her glass. Already annoyed at the unwanted attention, Sousuke removed his socks and sneakers before diving into to cool water.

Holding his breath, he sat on the pool's tiled floor. Exercising had always been an efficient way to clear his mind, helping him to think things through more clearly so that he could make sense of everything. Lately, he seemed to be swept up into some unknown current, being forced to locations all over the globe with no discernable reason behind it. To add to his own mystery, Sousuke wasn't even called on to act as Leonard's body guard as often as he used to. It seemed as if now he was just being paid to follow the silver haired brat wherever the wind took him. Sousuke didn't like it at all. Finally coming up to the surface, he swam over to the side that overlooked the shore and leaned on the edge. The sun had disappeared behind the low hanging clouds along the horizon, and the sky was now painted in rich colors of yellow, orange, red, pink and purple.

His breath caught in his throat as his memories once again sought to torture him. Unconsciously his hand came up to twist a lock of his lengthened hair through his fingers. Scenes of standing on a sunset drenched bridge with a beautiful young woman assaulted his mind's eye, her words still faintly echoing through his thoughts. He felt his chest tighten again, and forced himself to turn away from the warm colors of the fading daylight. Grabbing the towel he had been using, Sousuke dried off and headed back through the gym area toward the door. The rest of the world seemed silent as he walked; the only things registering to him were the distant echo of a blue-haired girl's lyrical laughter, and the words that still haunted him in his dreams and nightmares.

'_I trust only you, Sousuke…' _

0200 Hours – Merida Island Women's Barracks

Kaname lay on her bunk staring up at the ceiling. Try as she might, she just couldn't sleep like she wanted to. It wasn't as if she'd been lazy all day either, sleep simply eluded her grasp; nothing more. That didn't stop her from getting pissed off because of it though. Kaname Chidori was a girl who valued every blissful hour of her sleep, and with every minute that ticked by she found herself wishing she could shoot the damned glowing green numbers on her infernal digital clock! She'd gotten word a while after she had left the Intelligence office that Tessa was lobbying with Admiral Borda and a few of the other council members to investigate some of the more questionable motives of General Amit. Apparently he had quite a few alternative orders going around underneath the originals that went far beyond what Mithril's ideals about justice concerned. Kaname wasn't so worried about that anymore; with Tessa fully behind her and working to sort things out, Kaname would be free to pursue her own avenues as she continued her search for Sousuke.

Already it was two in the morning. In another five hours she'd have to get up and train with Closeau and Mao before breakfast. Finally unable to just lie there in the dark, Kaname sat up and threw her lithe legs over the side of the bed. Deciding to kill some time, Kaname turned on her computer and signed onto the internet. _'Maybe I'll be lucky and Kyoko will be on,'_ she thought as she signed into her screen name. Finding no one on at the moment, she clicked open her inbox to check her e-mail.

She felt a chill run up her spine when the inbox window finished loading; yet another ten or so e-mails from that insatiable bastard, Leonard Testarossa. _'When will that asshole get it through his thick skull!? I HATE HIM!!' _she thought as she selected each one for deletion. Just as she was about to select the final letter, the title sparked her curiosity. The title was unusual for him, as he had a tendency to title his e-mails with cheesy poetry or whatever other crap his twisted mind could think of. This one though, the title was just 'hello'. Images of a cold and rainy rooftop came back to the forefront of her mind, making her shiver at their presence. Gripping the mouse tightly, Kaname forced her other hand into her pocket to keep it from shaking as she opened the letter. Steeling herself, Kaname squared her shoulders and prepared to read the letter. Remembering her earlier conviction, her eyes finally focused on the first few lines.

_My Dearest Kaname,_

_I hope this letter finds you well, as thoughts of you are never far from my mind. Many of my nights are filled with the beautiful memories of when last we met, and I long for another just like it. But I have gotten off topic. It is my understanding that recent events have put me in possession of something you would find quite interesting. When last we spoke you were quite adamant about how important it was to you, despite my reasoning for the contrary. If you wish to know more, I will be waiting for you in The Old Town Square in front of the Astronomical Clock in Prague three days from the delivery of this letter. I will be arriving there at one 'o'clock, and will wait for only two hours. Please remember to dress nicely; there is a wonderful little restaurant nearby that I know you would love._

_Yours Forever,_

_Leonard_

_P.S. – By the way, do you know how Mr. Sagara has been lately? _

Never before had Kaname wanted so badly to blow something up. If she knew no one would ask too many questions about it later, she would have gladly attempted to put her fist through the nineteen inch flat screen in front of her. Her ever increasing grip on the mouse was causing the plastic to buckle under the pressure, as faint crackling sounds echoed in her small bunk room. The sheer audacity of his implications was enough for her to feel the bile rising in the back of her throat. He wanted to see her again as he ordered that damned mini AS to kill someone? He really was one sick and twisted son of a bitch. Normally she would have just deleted the message and that would have been the end of it; but there was something out of place with this one. _'He has something that I would be interested in?' _she pondered as she sat in the dim light of her bunk. _'Something important to me, but he doesn't think it should be? What the hell is he talking about?'_

That was when the pieces of the puzzle started coming together. Everything seemed to fit just a little too perfectly, and Kaname wanted to slap her forehead for not figuring it out earlier in the day. Intelligence had been keeping an eye on Sousuke because he had been scouted as a bodyguard for a high ranking Amalgam official; her conversation on the rooftop with Leonard had been about Sousuke and what he meant to her; Leonard mentioned that he had something in his possession that she would be interested in; and the to top it all off, it made perfect sense that he would ask her if she knew how Sousuke was doing.

That was because Sousuke was following Leonard. Sousuke was Leonard Testarossa's bodyguard.

Kaname had to make a mad dash for the small restroom in her bunk; the second she made sure the toilet lid was up she vomited. The thought of Sousuke having to work for that slimy back-stabbing asshole had made her physically sick, and she heaved once more after brushing a few stray strands of hair from the side of her face. Once she was sure that no more was going to come up, she slid her thin frame to the side and rested against the wall just inside the bathroom door. She sat there on the cool tile floor waiting for her stomach to settle, her mind going into overload as she lightly bit her lower lip. Minutes later, Kaname was finally able to make her way over to the sink to brush her teeth. Glancing over at the clock near her bed, she scoffed at the time before throwing on her bra, pants and boots.

'_Melissa will understand after I explain everything,'_ she thought as she ran down the hallway toward her friend's bunk. Once there, she pounded frantically on the door, waiting in the chilled pre-dawn air for the door to open. Moments after arriving, Melissa poked her head out of the door. Her hair was heavily messed, and here eyes still seemed a bit out of focus as she leaned sleepily against the door frame. "Kaname? Girl, do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah I know what time it is Melissa but that's not important."

"What could be more *Yawn* important than sleep at this hour?"

"I know where Sousuke is." Just as quickly as she had said it, Melissa stopped cold, her eyes widening as they focused on the girl in front of her. "I know it sounds crazy, but I'm certain I know where he is now." Still with a look of slight disbelief on her face, Melissa backed up as she opened the door. After an nearly an hour of reliving the hell of those first paralyzing days without Sousuke, Kaname ended her explanation of how she knew of his whereabouts. Once she had finished, Melissa dropped her head to rest on her forearms with an exasperated moan, her brain digesting all the information she'd received. Lifting her gaze to look at Kaname, Melissa ran a hand through her short cropped hair.

"Well I gotta say Kaname, that's a lot to go on. But why didn't you say anything to any of us before this? You know Kurz and I would have been able to help more if you had given us every piece of information you had." Kaname fidgeted as she thought over Melissa's question. Her fingers moved to grasp the edges of the folding chair she sat on, alternately clenching and releasing, Kaname sorted through her thoughts before finally answering.

"I, well…I guess I never said anything because I wanted to put it out of my mind. That night on the rooftop, I still have nightmares about it. So much else has been going on, I just didn't want any more stress to be added to the situation."

"I guess that make sense, but we can figure out the rest of that stuff later. Right now, let's figure out what to do about this Leonard guy. The letter said exactly where he would be and when right?" Kaname nodded, her long hair bouncing slightly with the movement. "Then all we need to do is figure out a way we can turn this into a tactically favorable situation for us. If what you said is right, then we should have three days until he wants to meet you. Plus, since he gave us an exact location, we can start recon and planning in the morning, then move onto setting things up at the location." Kaname sighed when Melissa finished her rundown. If there was one thing she hated more than sick-minded silver-haired jackasses, it was playing the bait for said jackasses. Reaching up, she started trying to sooth away a headache that started growing due to lack of sleep.

"I hate playing the bait…" Melissa could only offer the other girl a sleepy half grin, her body still protesting her movements without her needed rest.

"I know Kaname, but if it helps us get Sousuke back then it'll be worth it, right?" Despite the hopeful sound to the question, Melissa saw Kaname's face fall slightly. "Kaname?"

"Melissa, what if…what if Sousuke doesn't want to come back? Do you think if he knows I'm alive, would he come back?"

"Seriously Kaname, I'm going to tell you this because I'm your friend. Okay?" Seeing the younger girl nod, Melissa took a deep breath and sat up straight. "When Sousuke first came back from being recalled, he was more quiet than usual. You could see it in his eyes, even if didn't say anything, that he didn't want to be here. When we got the orders to look for the rogue Venom in Hong Kong, he didn't even salute Tessa when he saw her. He just acted like she wasn't even there, Kaname. Anyway, while we were driving around, he kept playing with his hair while he drove." Melissa watched as a realization came across Kaname's face, her brown eyes wide with her discovery. "I take it you have an idea as to why he would do that?"

"Uh, I…I do, actually. You see, the last night I saw him…I…I gave him a haircut, and finally got the guts to tell him that he was the only one I…I really trusted." Understanding finally clicked in Melissa's head. It was then that she finally could see why he had been so out of sorts when he had come back. They really had bonded while he was there, but before anything else could happen for them, he'd received new orders to pull out.

"Listen Kaname, I seriously doubt that Sousuke could stay away for this long if he knew you were alive. If that Leonard guy is as much of an asshole as you've told me, then he's probably been keeping Sousuke in the dark the whole time. Bastard is probably enjoying every second of it too, so I wouldn't worry about it. Sousuke may be clueless, war-obsessed, paranoid, and a little on the obsessive side, but he's had a real soft spot for you since you guys first met. You know firsthand just how far he's willing to go if it means it's for you, so let's just do what we can and let things work themselves out." Feeling better for the moment, Kaname nodded and stifled a yawn. After talking with Melissa a little more, Kaname felt sleep calling to her. Finally able to rest, Melissa sent Kaname back to her bunk after making plans about who would take care of what regarding Leonard's letter.

Once back in her bunk, Kaname laid back into the mattress, sparing a quick glance over to the picture on her desk. Taken by Kyoko's timed camera, the whole group stood at the entrance to the school festival that Kaname had dubbed 'Sousuke's big gloomy doom-castle'. Off to the left side stood her sergeant; stiffly saluting the camera as Ono-D slung an arm around his shoulder and put a 'thumbs up' with his other at the camera. Feeling truly hopeful for the first time in months, Kaname was asleep in minutes. For once, her dreams were filled with happy thoughts of a scruffy young man, a scar gracing the left side of his handsome face.

1250 Hours – In front of the Astronomical Clock – Prague, Czech Republic

Kaname checked her wrist watch again before scanning the area around her. Trying not to look nervous, Kaname walked over to stand beneath the Astronomical Clock near a lamp post. _'Just ten minutes,' _she thought. Checking out of the corner of her eye, she looked across the street to the top windows of the yellow and white building. Kurz was supposed to have his rifle set up from behind the thin white curtains, and Melissa was in disguise somewhere nearby. Kaname had chosen her clothing based on how things were supposed to go today. Deep grey Capri pants hugged her long thighs, while a pair of black suede sneakers covered her feet. A matching grey cardigan and muted purple tank top finished her fashionable but nondescript outfit. She'd left her hair down, but instead of her usual red bow, had tied the bottom with a black velvet one instead to match. Since she couldn't hide her berretta in the back of her waistband without it being noticed, she opted for a black purse with three extra clips. She'd also managed to hide a utility knife disguised as a cellular phone, and packed both a Ballistic knife and regular switchblade just incase the ballistic knife missed its target.

Kaname was getting nervous as it drew closer to the time when he would show up. If she could have, she never would have bothered seeing Leonard again for the rest of her life. Unfortunately, if she wanted an easier chance to see Sousuke again, she'd have to play his game for a while. Just as she was about to cross the street and find a table at the café, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and the cold touch of a gun barrel against the back of her head. "Drop your weapons and turn around slowly." Hearing the mechanized voice, Kaname guessed that Leonard had sent out one of his precious Alastors to make sure the coast was clear before showing himself. With a disgusted look on her face, Kaname moved the strap of her purse off her shoulder, the clips inside clanging as they hit the ground. Turning around she was surprised that the Alastor was brandishing his firearm so clearly in view of the public. Though considering that the Czech Republic had very liberal views on carrying handguns, the only real surprise came from the fact that the Alastor was aiming it right between the eyes in broad daylight.

"You look as beautiful as ever my dear. Though the sight of you in the rain was far more alluring." Finally, Leonard stepped out from behind the Alastor that held the gun to her face. Not bothering to hide her anger, Kaname glared daggers at the silver haired boy. "You still hold such passionate flames in your eyes Kaname. It reminds me our first blessed kiss."

"Fuck off Leonard."

"Such animosity, and here I just wanted to spend a pleasant afternoon lunch with you."

"Spare me asshole. Tell me why I bothered to show up here."

"You should know the answer to that Kaname dear. I understand that I have something that you want for yourself; am I wrong?" Kaname had to resist the urge to spit in Leonard's smug face. She silently thanked the Alastor that stood like a pillar between them, as nightmarish fantasies of what she would like to do to the young man once she got what she wanted began playing through her mind.

"I find it hard to believe that you would want to have me come all this way just to tell me this. What is it you want from me?"

"I want you to come with me of course."

"Go fuck yourself."

"Such vulgarities. What if I could prove to you that I know of Mr. Sagara's location? Would you reconsider?" Kaname eyed the Alastor in front of her one more time. She was starting to get nervous. Kurz should have been able to take out this jerk in no time flat, and where was Melissa? She was supposed to be nearby in the café, but there wasn't a single oriental person in the crowd near her. Leonard must have noticed her fidgeting, his confident smirk only widened. "If you were waiting for someone then I must apologize. I had a few of my other Alastor designs restrain the sniper and the woman." Kaname's eyes widened in shock, their back up plan had been discovered so easily? "Now, as I have asked previously, would you reconsider my offer if I can prove my knowledge to you?"

Kaname weighed her options carefully. There was no way she could move out of the gun's direction before the Alastor could shoot her. And without Kurz or Melissa for backup, she didn't stand much chance of reaching her fallen purse for any of the weapons she had thought to bring with her. The only thing within reach was the utility knife she'd packed; but even then, she'd have to open the right part first. Unable to come up with any alternatives, Kaname's gaze shifted back to Leonard. "Prove it to me first. If it's true and I go with you, will you let my friends go?"

"I will release them once you have boarded the transport chopper. Not a second before; you have my word." Kaname only hesitated for a moment, as she was definite that she shouldn't trust Leonard as far as she could throw him. Still, he was the only lead she had to finding where Sousuke was.

"It's a deal then." His smirk now a full blown smile, Leonard reached into his pocket and pulled out a photograph. Kaname snatched it quickly, trying to keep as little contact as she could with him. Once her eyes focused on the picture, she felt a familiar burning behind her eyes. His hair was longer than she had ever seen it, but there was no mistaking the scar that lay across his cheek. From the angle of the photo, it was possible that someone had taken it covertly, as almost his whole face could be seen clearly. Her gaze focused momentarily on his deep grey eyes, though they lacked any real emotions at the time, they still appeared to her as warm as they had ever been. Fresh tears were perched precariously on her long lashes as she stared at the photo, wishing more than anything to be able to wrap her arms around his strong frame. Still, she had to be sure the photo wasn't a mock-up. Wiping the still unshed tears from her eyes, she faced Leonard once more. "How do I know this isn't doctored? It could be a fake for all I know."

Leonard reached in his pocket again, pulling out his cell phone. After dialing a few numbers he handed Kaname the phone. Kaname held the small device close to her ear, her heart beating wildly as each ring blared through the speaker. When the ringing finally stopped, she felt her heart skip a beat. "Sagara speaking…what is it Leonard?…fine then, don't say anything." A click sounded the end of the call, and Kaname stood frozen as her hand continued to hold the small phone to her ear. Her eyes now focused on the silver haired boy in front of her, she handed back the phone and nodded her head in acceptance.

"Right this way my dear Kaname." Kaname felt numb as Leonard guided her to the white town car. The door seemed to echo in her thoughts the same way a jailor would to a cell door. Even though it felt like she was giving up too easily, Kaname had to keep in mind that so far this was the only way to see Sousuke again. Remembering the last piece of equipment she had on her, Kaname faked an itch on her arm so she could activate the bracelet transmitter. It was the same one Sousuke had given to her, but the R&D department had amplified its readings so that it worked similar to GPS trackers. As she silently boarded the chopper, she made sure to fix Leonard with a hardened look until he made the phone call. Hearing that the Alastors holding Melissa and Kurz were reporting back to their master, Kaname resigned herself to the captivity she would face as soon as they landed. Her only solace was that she was now closer than ever before to finally finding and seeing Sousuke again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Lies **

Numbers and symbols flew past her vacant eyes as she lay silent in the glass covered tube. Her lips moving of their own accord as equations, theories, and probabilities floated from her dry throat. A thin paper gown covered her as Kaname once again submitted herself to the mandatory Whispered testing. The sessions lasted only an hour, but because she wasn't cognizant of what exactly was collected while she was under, each one made her more nervous than the last. Finally the lights faded and the screen went dark. Slowly her eyes closed, and the scientists rolled back the thick glass case to remove the sensors attached to her head. One of them laid a hand on her shoulder and gently shook her awake, having to document how long it took her to wake up afterwards as well. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Kaname sat up and swung her legs over the edge to put on the plastic sandals. Receiving a nod from the scientist in charge, Kaname was given back her underwear and white sundress.

Once inside the changing room, Kaname's shoulders slumped as fresh hot tears fell down her face. It had been almost a month that she had been held at the villa/facility, and still there was no sign of Sousuke. Leonard had kept her on a tight leash since her arrival, mandating that she was to stay within the confines of the east wing of the large villa. Every day she had to submit to testing for an hour, and spend the remaining time wandering through coldly vacant hallways, the occasional Alastor positioned in places where she wasn't supposed to go. She still remembered vividly the complete despair she had felt when she had woken up on the transport chopper to find her bracelet had been smashed by one of his precious Alastors. The second she had noticed, it wasn't the fact that the GPS had been smashed that bothered her, it had been that one of the only semi-normal gifts Sousuke had ever given her was now smashed to pieces. It hadn't even been two days into her captivity after that that she felt more alone and isolated than she ever had in her entire life.

As if the loneliness wasn't bad enough, all of the clothes she could find were white. It was as if no one there had ever heard of colors before. Idly she remembered that she used to be fond of the color, but with constant white clothing, drapery, furniture, sheets, tiles, etc., she was growing sick of it quickly. The only other color within the area she was allowed to wander freely was small amounts of pale blue for accents. The whole place seemed icy cold despite the warm weather outside.

That was the other thing pissing her off. Leonard made sure no one told her where the hell she was. All she knew was that they were surrounded by jungles on all sides, and that some days it seemed like the rain would never stop. Once she finished changing back into 'normal' clothes, Kaname left the research facility located in the east basement. She shivered as she walked down the hallway to her room, the Alastor following her making her feel paranoid. Once back inside her room, she was shocked to find Leonard in one of the plush white chairs near the balcony. Well aware of the look of disgust on her face, she walked past him to sit on a couch that faced away from him. "What are you doing in my room Leonard?"

"I was not aware that I needed permission to enter the room of my beloved."

"Cut the bullshit already! Either get out or do what you promised!" Kaname had to restrain herself from slapping the almost innocent look of confusion from his face. He was playing with her, and what made it worse was that he was fully aware of just how much it pissed her off.

"I don't recall making any promises Kaname," he replied as he stood and slowly sauntered over to her. "I only asked you to come with me. Something that, as I recall, you did of your own free will." Kaname had to hold back the bile in her throat when she felt his cool hands rest on her shoulders. It was taking everything she had to not slit his throat when he was near her at all, but when he touched her…

"Get your hands off me!" Shoving his hands away, she stood and walked to stand across the room near the fireplace, which she just noticed was lit and burning brightly. Calmly, he walked around the couch and flipped his hair back with a flick of his wrist. His deliberate steps caused her to back up against the wall out of instinct. "You stay the fuck away from me you sick pervert!"

"Now, now; there's no need for insults my dear." His voice was like poisoned honey to her ears as he closed the distance between them to lean on both of his outstretched arms situated on either side of her shoulders. Kaname stared back at his cold eyes, the feeling that she wanted to make him experience the pain in her heart physically called to her. Doing her best to put on a sweet face, she reached up slowly, as if to run her fingers through his hair. Just as a self-righteous smile came to his face, Kaname brought his head forward to slam her forehead against the bridge of his nose. As his arms came away from the wall and his frame lowered in pain, she put her hands on his shoulders and steadied him as her knee came up to rush into his sternum. Backing off as he checked to see if his nose was bleeding, his pale brown eyes angrily stared back at her. His face retained its calm composure as he stood to slowly chase her once more; a small trickle of blood from his nose was forgotten against the sting of his pride. "Just one kiss is all I ask my love. Is that so much?" Just when he was about to try again, a quiet ringing went off. A look of disappointment crossing his features, he reached into his pocket and opened his cell phone.

Kaname thanked every deity she could think of that he was now distracted by the phone. From the look his face now sported, he wouldn't be able to attempt finishing what he started. Finishing his conversation, Leonard folded his phone back and put it in his pocket once more. "Unfortunately my sweet Kaname, I have business I must attend to. I hope you will not grow too lonely in my absence."

"Don't hold your breath asshole." With his normal smug countenance back in place, Leonard let himself out of the room; the click of the lock sending Kaname into a rage that ended with shattered vases and a broken vanity mirror. Still craving at least one more act of defiance, Kaname grabbed hold of one of the wicker chairs near the balcony. Screaming as she swung the furniture, she let it fly out into the light misty rain, faintly hearing it shatter on the hillside beyond the perimeter wall. Once she had a moment to calm down, Kaname fell back into one of the chairs and let free the torrent of tears she had successfully hid while in his presence. "Sousuke…I know you're close, I can feel it. Please, come back to me."

In the Villa's West Wing… 

Leonard approached the landing pad and awaited the chopper's arrival. He was going to have to be extremely cautious from here on out. He wanted to be near Kaname enough that she could come to reciprocate his feelings, though, that would be difficult with Sagara so close. Leonard wanted nothing more than to reveal to Sagara that Kaname was not only still alive, but that she now loved another instead. To see the look of absolute despair and torture on his rival's face was something Leonard had dreamed about for the last seven months. Now, finally it would start coming to fruition.

The wind kicked up and the faint scent of ozone began to permeate the air. Any second now the chopper would disengage its ECS and allow Sagara to exit onto the landing pad; bringing with him a transfer from the Eastern Bloc. According to the folder he'd received when he'd landed a month prior, she was a former hacker who had been successful in cyber spying into the American top secret database, enabling her to reposition three American satellites. Her abilities could prove useful should Amalgam need to commandeer any of the international satellites when the time for war against Mithril would ensue. Of course, if only to satisfy his own burning curiosity, she would have to be put through a Whispered test. If it proved positive, then that would be one more Whispered that would be henceforth out of Mithril's reach. Before Leonard could continue his train of thought, the smell of ozone in the air grew. The wind whipped his silver hair around his face as the chopper descended, the pilot disengaging his ECS just before completing his landing.

Sousuke swiftly stepped off the chopper, the new agent Isra Nagi, following closely behind him. For once he was glad that Leonard was meeting them at the landing site, the new operative had been attempting to flirt with him the entire flight from Yemen, and his patience was just about at its end. At least while here he knew that Leonard would be testing her skills and keeping her busy. Maybe then he could finally have some peace and quiet for longer than three minutes. Closing the distance between himself and his employer, he gave a sloppy one handed salute as he passed Leonard on the tarmac, leaving him to deal with the new operative. "Mr. Sagara."

"What?"

"The East Wing of the Villa is off limits to you. There is some very delicate technical equipment being held on that side of the house, the last thing we need is a military Neanderthal breaking any of it. Am I clear?" Sousuke had to contain his anger as yet another ridiculous insult was added to the list. Momentarily grinding his teeth, he turned and nodded before continuing his walk over to the rooftop entrance. His boots scuffed along the concrete as he bent his head to stretch out the tired neck muscles. Sousuke had been in far more tiring situations of course, but one never truly becomes accustomed to sitting in the same position for hours without experiencing some stiffness and the urge to walk around. Idly, his hand reached into his pocket to clutch the keychain that was never far from his reach. The cool plastic and the slight jingling of the short metal chain had a calming effect, but he had to be careful, as his current surroundings were not the most favorable to be assaulted by his sweet, yet painful memories.

He stopped suddenly, as the faint sound of a scream came from the other side of the grounds, followed by what sounded like a crash of some kind. It was even more suspicious that not only was there no alarm raised, but Leonard seemed to have ignored it completely. Leonard continued to speak with Ms. Nagi as if the only sound in the region was the sound of the misty jungle from the other side of the perimeter wall. Turning back to open the roof access door, Sousuke made a mental note that as soon as he was able, Leonard's orders be damned, he was going to investigate. His confusion about recent events and the behaviors of his employer had him more on edge than before, and his normally infinite patience had been let on an exceptionally short fuse as of late.

Making his way through the colorless mansion, Sousuke found the room that was supposed to belong to him during his short stay. He was supposed to accompany Leonard for another business deal in four days, and Sousuke wanted nothing more than to take a cue from his former Sergeant Major and tell the effeminate boy to 'fuck off'. Once inside, he made sure the door was firmly locked and checked it thoroughly for any kind of hidden surveillance equipment. Once satisfied, he fell back into one of the plush chairs near the window. The rain was starting to pick up, and before he knew it he had drifted into a light sleep. As he slept, his hand still tightly held the small blue dolphin within the darkness of his coat pocket.

1900 Hours – East Wing

Kaname stared out over the vast jungles as she pushed around the mashed potatoes on her plate. She had never been much of a picky eater, but for some reason, she had no appetite what so ever. It certainly wasn't that the food was bad, if anything it was heavenly. Garlic mashed potatoes with chives, steamed vegetables with a light cheese sauce, and a premium cut of lamb had been cooked to perfection. Finally bored with moving the half-eaten food around her plate, Kaname shoved it back and went to stand on the balcony. The rain had stopped for the moment, but she could still feel a light mist on her skin as she walked. Looking out over the seemingly endless jungle had her remembering the first time Sousuke had truly saved her. His determined look as he dismissed the pain of the shrapnel in his side, making sure to ensure her life first at all costs. Just the memory itself was enough to send her heart fluttering.

The moonlight broke its silvery rays through the thicket of clouds, spilling its radiant glow over the glistening flora. The pale bluish light made the jungles below seem almost mythical as she stared into the distance. More memories from the hijacking incident stood in the forefront of her mind; the fear she'd felt as the bullets whizzed by, the complete shock as she watched her fellow classmate destroy two Armslaves mere seconds after activating his own, and the pain in her heart from the thought of him losing his life just so that she could live hers. Kaname could feel the tears on the sides of her eyes, but knew that they weren't yet ready to fall. All the same, she wiped them away and turned to lean on the thick stone wall of the balcony.

Staring up at the moon she felt a light breeze go by, the thick humidity cooling the air as it moved. A small patch of stars were visible through a spot in the clouds. Two of them seemed to glow brighter than the others that were nearby, and Kaname couldn't help but remember the story of Tanabata. _'Two lovers who had to wait an entire year, just to able to see each other for one night,' _she thought as her gaze concentrated on the two twinkling lights. _'Hm. I never thought I would understand it so clearly. I now know what it is to love someone far from my reach, and I'd give anything I could for just one night with him.'_ A small blush came across her face as she admitted such things to herself. Even after months of living with her admission, the brief memories of when they visited the beach would swim through her mind in the dark of night. Just the thought of his chiseled features and the way his muscles moved with every gesture had her blushing fiercely, not to mention the warm feeling that she would experience as well. But the thought of taking it further, of moving to that final step as every adult must someday overcome. Though Kaname knew she would be nervous, she also knew that should something like that ever happen, that there would be no regrets. She saw nothing wrong in the thought of giving herself to someone she loved and trusted implicitly, but those thoughts in general were still far too fresh in her mind to not blush at the concept. Deciding to break her silence, Kaname's voice softly drifted through the air as she sang softly.

So far away  
But still so close  
So many days  
I've had to count  
The meaning of life  
Comes true when I'm with you  
For in me there's a flower growing

The breeze picked up again, swaying her cerulean hair across her back. The thick moisture in the air combined with the heat had begun to make her sweat, the thin material of the white sundress clinging to her lithe form as a result. Kaname leaned back to stretch out her muscles, the relaxing feel of natural endorphins calming her frayed nerves for the moment. Taking another breath, she continued with her sad song.

Tell him through the winds I am here  
Whisper through the breeze not to fear  
Taste it by the rain what I feel when you hold me  
Reach out for the winds that we share  
Then you will feel I am near  
Taste it by the snow, I am here where you left me

As the light breeze kicked up once more, Kaname closed her eyes. She leaned into the slight relief offered by the moisture filled air, the hem of her sundress waving with every movement. Before she could continue her song, Kaname heard the door to her room open and close quickly, the lights going off as soon as it closed. _'Fucking Leonard,'_ she thought as she moved out of the room's direct visibility. _'Will that slimy little scumbag __**never**__ learn?'_ Glancing down, she spotted a large piece of porcelain on the ground, left over from her earlier tirade. Moving as quietly as she was able, bent to pick it up, and making sure to grip it with the largest point facing away from her. Still hiding in the shadows, Kaname risked a peek from behind the large planter near the balcony entrance.

From what she could tell, though her intruder was not Leonard, he was most definitely male. He also seemed to be carrying a handgun, though since he had his back to her she couldn't tell what kind. Kaname hid again when the man started turning around, holding her breath until she was sure he hadn't seen her. Grasping the porcelain as tightly as she could without cutting herself, Kaname waited patiently for the right moment to strike. _'If I can get that asshole to drop his gun, I may stand a decent chance,' _she thought. The footsteps grew closer, and Kaname could feel her heartbeat getting faster with the adrenalin rush. When it sounded like the man was near the balcony, Kaname picked up a small stone and threw it near the bed. When the man turned to aim over at the bed, Kaname struck.

A swift kick to the back of one of his knees had him kneeling as she prepared for another attack. Before she could back up enough to strike him in the shoulders though, his right hand came back with incredible speed to take hold of her wrist. Giving it a sharp twist, Kaname lost her footing and stumbled as he came up sharply to force her back with his forearm. Still moving back with the force he used, Kaname managed to bring her other arm around his neck and began to squeeze. When the intruder was finally standing upright, she chanced another kick in his legs, rolling him away from her as they both fell down to the ground. Both stood in the heavy shadows of the room, poised to attack at the slightest movement. The gun he had been holding had fallen out of his grip and slid under the bed when they fell; making Kaname more confident that she could take on the man who had burst into her room. Standing straight up, Kaname kept her eyes trained on the dark figure as they moved in slow circles, sizing each other up. Another storm must have been on its way, as the moonlight outside had faded and brief flashes could be seen following the deep rumbling of thunder. Waiting until the next thunderous wave filled the air, Kaname rushed in, hoping to score a punch near one of his shoulders or throat.

Finally within range, she ducked twice before he landed one to the left side of her face. Her head jerked back, and she felt her anger at being disturbed amplify with the adrenalin that coursed through her veins. Recovering quickly, she managed to return his one punch with three to the torso and one to the chin. As he backed up from the momentum, she moved in low to shove her elbow into his stomach. The man staggered back as their fight neared the center of the large suite she had lived in for the last month. Seeing her chance as he hesitated to catch his breath, Kaname rushed forward to jump, managing to twist her body when her feet connected his sternum. His recovery lasted only a minute, as he flipped himself back onto his feet and rushed forward. He grabbed her arm when she moved to try another punch, and managed to kick her feet out from under her. They struggled for dominance once on the floor, rolling across the hardwood in every direction as each one tried to force the other into submission.

Wanting to finish this fight as quickly as possible, Kaname slammed her forehead into his face, bringing her legs up to kick him off of her when he backed up from the force. Both were stumbling to regain their footing for moment, and Kaname decided to move in and finish this before they both got torn to shreds. Even in the near pitch darkness of the room, she could tell that this man was a remarkable fighter. She could feel the well toned muscles that were hidden beneath the trench coat and suit he wore, and each of them moved as if they had been molded to perfection. Kaname propelled herself forward, thrusting up her hand under his chin and using the kinetic force in her other hand to throw him up against the wall. Moving quickly, she reached under the bed to find the handgun he had dropped at the start of the fight. Once the gun was held tightly in her grip, she ran toward the downed man that now sat haphazardly under the once orderly bookcase. She froze when the man brought out another gun from behind his back, both staying stock still with the barrels pointed toward their opponent. Trying to think of a way to get the upper hand, another bright flash of light filled the room with a great clash of thunder. In an instant, Kaname's eyes went wide at the glimpse she had caught at her intruder.

She'd know those eyes anywhere…

1700 Hours – West Wing 

Sousuke stared listlessly out the window as the last visible signs of daylight began to fade away behind the thick clouds. He had been called to sit in while Leonard had his dinner, and was then ordered to stand guard inside the room as he went through his mounds of paperwork. Due to the tension Sousuke's confusion was causing, the silence between them could almost be a tangible force. At the moment though, Sousuke wanted nothing more than to empty his Glock's magazine into the stereo system. Leonard listened to nothing but classical music all day and practically all night, and it was more than just mildly annoying at this point. Sousuke had never been too interested in music, as some of the lyrics and hidden meanings often eluded him. Though at the moment, he would give anything to have Kurz burst in and blast some of his rock music; if only to have something different for a change. When the stereo decided to play yet another Beethoven symphony, Sousuke had had enough. Standing quickly, he stormed his way over to the door of Leonard's study, pausing only when he heard his name from the desk at the other end of the room. "What?"

"Where are you going Mr. Sagara? Do you need to use the lavatory?" Making sure that he kept his growl quiet enough to go unnoticed, Sousuke turned his head just enough to see Leonard sitting behind his desk.

"I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Actually you do. As your employer, I demand to know where my employees are at all times. So I ask again, where are you going?" Sousuke gritted his teeth as his hands clenched with frustration. If Leonard were more observant, he probably would have likened his bodyguard to a wild animal on a chain, one that was more than ready to strike down its oppressive owner the first chance it got. Quietly taking a deep breath in a vain attempt to calm his anger, Sousuke turned to face the silver haired boy.

"If you must know, I would like to retire for the night. The long flight has left my senses dull, and I need my rest if I am to adequately protect your life Mr. Testarossa." Sousuke glared as Leonard leaned forward to reach for a pen that had rolled across his desk.

"Very well then Mr. Sagara. Have one of the Alastors escort you to your quarters for the night. I will call when I need you. You are dismissed." With the exception of his memories, and reading the ebb and flow of the battle field, Sousuke had never bothered to make much use of his imagination. Though, at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to turn around and empty his Glock's magazines into his employer's skull. Turning back to open the door, Sousuke had to contain the smirk that threatened to break out at the thought of that pretty silver hair stained black with his own blood. As the Alastor opened the door to his room, Sousuke made a mental note of the locations he could maneuver through once he was ready to make his move.

Almost thirty minutes later, Sousuke quietly moved over to the door, listening carefully to the movements of the guards that patrolled the halls. Waiting patiently, he timed the patrols in the hallway beyond his door. Once he was certain, he quietly cracked open the door to ascertain their exact position. He ducked into the shadows of the empty room across the hall, making sure to move as silently as possible. Sousuke held his breath as one of the patrol men came over and checked his door, mentally hoping that the guard wouldn't think anything further when finding it locked. If the guard on patrol knew Sousuke was staying there, then there should be no question that his door should be locked while he slept. Relieved once the guard continued his walk down the hall, Sousuke quietly made his way toward the East wing of the mansion.

He cursed when he realized he would have to cross a large foyer to get there, and cursed double when he noticed the Alastor positioned at the front door. _'Shit. Those damn things have their heat sensors activated when the sun goes down,'_ he swore as he held his Glock close to him in the darkness. Glancing around him, he tried to find a suitable distraction so that he could lure the Alastor far enough away from the door so that he could sneak by. His gaze finally landing on the Ming Vase across the room, he put on a pair of gloves so that his touch wouldn't leave a heat trail. Calling on all his training as an assassin, he moved through the shadows, crossing the room without a sound and knocking over the vase before dashing behind one of the double doors while the Alastor came in to investigate the noise. While the Alastor was busy scanning the shattered vase, Sousuke dashed down the East hallway, hiding in one of the hallway's narrow alcoves when the Alastor turned to walk back to his position at the mansion's front door.

From there on out, Sousuke was counting his lucky stars as it seemed that the Alastors were only stationed at the main entrances to the mansion. The rest of the compound was filled with your typical run-of-the-mill hired muscle types, the kind that would follow the man who signed their paychecks and nothing more. The farther he went into the East wing; he found more and more wires running along the sides of the walls and floors. _'Probably taking advantage of the extra outlets for their equipment,'_ he thought as he stalked quietly down the hall. Deciding to follow the ever thickening flow of the extension cords, Sousuke turned into the next hallway, cautiously scanning the area ahead of him with his finger on the trigger. He froze a moment when he heard the distinct sound of mechanized movements coming from farther down the hallway. He looked quickly for a decent hiding place, and when he found none, ducked into one of the rooms. After rushing in, he locked the door and switched off the light. Sousuke backed up from the door slowly, his gun sights never leaving the entrance.

With the lights turned off, the room itself was nearly pitch black. Only the fine outlines of furniture could be seen from the ambient light that flowed in from outside. Hearing a sound from the far right, Sousuke turned his sights over to the bed as he continued to slowly back up toward the balcony. He was caught off guard by a swift kick to the back of his knees, and stumbled quickly to the hard wood floor. Reacting instantly, he reached back to take hold of his attackers wrist, and for a brief instant noticed that it was much smaller that he expected. Twisting the woman's arm back toward him, he then forced her back using his forearm. Unfortunately, this brought her closer, and the woman was able to wrap her arm around Sousuke's neck, trapping him in a choke hold. Knowing he wouldn't last very long if he couldn't break free, Sousuke attempted to stand straight up and back up for something he could bang her into. Just as he reached his full height, the woman kicked him in the legs again, using his momentum to flip him over her and into one of the small end tables near a chair.

Losing the grip on his Glock, he heard it slide under the bed as he staggered to catch his breath. He hadn't lied when he had told Leonard that his skills had dulled due t the tiring flight. He hadn't been able to get any adequate rest in almost four days, mainly because he'd had to cater to the whims of Ms. Nagi. He'd also eaten his last bag of jerky recently, and wasn't about to trust any of the food Leonard's servants brought for him. For all he knew it could have been poisoned. His breathing still slightly labored, the two circled each other in the darkness, both only able to see just enough to tell where the other was within the shadows of the room. With a loud clash of thunder, his opponent made her move. She managed to duck two of his punches before he finally made contact with the left side of her face. However, she recovered quickly, punching him in the stomach and then landing a sharp uppercut to his chin as he bent over. His already tired body strained as he staggered back from her the woman's attack, trying to force his body to respond the way he knew it could. Faintly able to see the woman's form in the darkness of the room, he watched as she leapt into the air, only to land directly on his sternum before twisting her body and bruising the muscles in his chest.

His breathing becoming more labored, Sousuke forced his body to flip back onto his feet, effectively blocking a punch from her in the process. Returning her earlier aggression, Sousuke kicked her feet out from under her. Both struggled on the hard wood floor for dominance, all the while trying to maintain the relative silence lest the other be disacovered. Catching him off guard, the woman slammed her forehead into his face, allowing her to gain enough leverage to bring up her thin legs and force him off of her. Once free, she grabbed hold of his chin and shoved it upward, following a kinetically powerful hit to the stomach. Sousuke's vision blurred slightly as his head hit the shelf of one of the ornate bookcases, dazing him for a moment. Hearing his opponent move toward the bed in an attempt to retrieve his Glock, Sousuke reached under the hem of his pant leg to quickly take out his spare Glock 17.

Still prone against the bookcase, Sousuke kept his gaze on the woman holding his other gun. Both stood stock still as they aimed at the other. Weighing his options, Sousuke tried to figure out a best case scenario to ending the conflict. His issues were with Leonard, not the mysterious woman whose room he had intruded into. It would be a simple matter to kill her, but at the same time, she had merely been defending herself against someone who had burst into her quarters uninvited. Another clash of thunder boomed throughout the area, followed by a flash that lit up the room for only fractions of a second. Since the woman had her back to the balcony, he hadn't been able to see what she looked like. However, his breath was suddenly stolen from him the moment he heard her speak.

"S-Sousuke?"


	10. Chapter 10

**WARNING!!! This chapter contains lemony goodness!!!!! If you are offended by this, please skim through and skip it. I've made sure to label when the Citrus starts and ends, so don't go saying I didn't tell you so! On another note, those who aren't offended by such things owe a debt of gratitude to Crystal Okamino, who dedicated her time to assisting me with this particular chapter. Only a few chapters left to go! Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 10 – Lips Like Morphine**

"S-Sousuke?"

In that instant, his own name had never sounded more foreign to his ears. He'd expected anything, any language at all peppered with demands and angry questions about why this strange man had barged into a woman's room uninvited. Any other number of derogatory names would have sounded familiar as well. Sousuke stared straight ahead, not daring to move a muscle should his imagination be playing tricks on him as it so often did in his dreams and nightmares. Then the woman moved. Slowly, she began walking over to where he still sat sprawled on the floor at the bottom of the bookcase. The grip on his gun was so tight that he was surprised his flesh didn't rip as the bones closed tighter around the handle. Still, she continued to move forward. As if in slow motion, she reached out and touched the tip of the gun barrel he still held pointed at her.

She kept inching closer, her soft fingers lightly trailing over his hand to stop at his wrist. It was taking everything Sousuke had to keep his hand from shaking as that single sound she'd uttered still rang in his ears. His eyes trained on the spot where her eyes would be, he never bothered to attempt keeping track of where her hands, or the other gun, had gone as she continued moving closer to him. Hearing a faint click to his left, the area in front of the bookcase was flooded with light. Now able to make out her face, his own eyes widened as he stared. Impossibly long azure hair fell around her face, her expression set with a slight frown. Warm chocolate eyes stared back at him; eyes that he thought had been lost to him for what felt like hundreds of years. He could feel his heart skip a beat as she spoke softly once again. "Sousuke…it really is you…"

Kaname leaned in to run her fingers through his hair, noticing how much longer it had gotten in the near nine months they had been separated. Still staring back into his deep grey irises, she felt the tears gathering quickly. Her vision clouded a moment as she took a moment to just continue looking at him. Her breath hitched when she suddenly felt a callused finger on her cheek, wiping away the wetness under her eyes. Unable to hold back a light whimper, Kaname rushed to wrap her arms around him. Any other time Kaname would have tried to retain some kind of composure, making sure to keep a brave front whenever she had to. But as she sat there, her arms absorbing his warmth, and her tears forming a wet spot on his shirt, she didn't have it in her to give a damn. "Oh god Sousuke! Where have you been? Why did you just leave me like that? Why?"

The weight on his chest finally helping his brain to register that she was real, his death grip on the gun slackened. Clanging to the floor, the gun was left forgotten as he wrapped his arms tightly around her thin frame. Staring down at the pool of deep blue surrounding his lower body, Sousuke felt his chest tighten, the bruises from their fight making it into a throbbing pain. Though his throat was dry and his body lacking its usual strength, he held her tighter. "K-Kaname…what's going on?"

"What?"

"Did I…have I died as well? How are you here?" Backing away from him, she raised her head to look in his eyes; her own still flowing with hot tears of joy.

"Oh Sousuke, you big military idiot," she replied. The tears still came down her cheeks as a thick laugh came through. He looked so confused, but there was something in his eyes that told her that everything would be fine, regardless of any other hardship they may face. Her laugh died quietly as she leaned forward again to resume the hug that his questions had interrupted. After almost nine months of feeling more alone than she could ever remember, Kaname smiled as she held him close, the sound and feel of his heartbeat acting like a soothing balm to her spirit.

Sousuke was still very much confused, but as he sat there, weaving his fingers through her long silky strands, he managed his first true smile in almost nine months. His time away from her had been like hell on earth, the guilt of leaving her that night having only increased as time had gone by. They stayed there on the floor for a while, each just reveling in the healing feel of being in each other's presence once more. The clouds outside had finally opened to let down the deluge it had been carrying, the occasional lightning bolt filling up the rest of the room with fractions of light before leaving the two surrounded in the comforting darkness. Sousuke simply held her as Kaname continued to soak his shirt with her tears, his fingers weaving themselves through her endless cerulean tresses. Staring down at her as she silently held onto him, a thought finally occurred to him. More times than he cared to admit, Kurz had lectured and described all things of a romantic or emotional meaning to him. Whether he had wanted to hear it or not had been irrelevant at the time. Even so, Sousuke was finally struck with the urge to ask her an important question. Stopping the movement of his fingers through her hair, Sousuke mentally debated whether or not he should voice it at all. It had the potential to change everything for both the best and the worst, but he wasn't sure if he should take such a gamble after finally seeing her again.

Kaname moved a little when she felt Sousuke halt his relaxing treatment, protesting the absence of it. When he still didn't resume like she wanted, Kaname opened her still teary eyes. "Sousuke?" He still remained quiet. Wiping away the last of the wetness from her face, she moved to prop herself up and look at him. When she finally sat up, she was about to say his name again to get his attention. The words died in her throat the moment their eyes met. His deep grey irises were burning as she made contact with them, their intensity making her body feel much warmer than it had seconds ago.

He stared back at her silently, losing himself in deep, rich pools of sweet chocolate. His eyes never leaving hers, he brought up a hand to brush away a few silken strands from her face. Momentarily able to break the hold her eyes had on him, his gaze dropped slightly to stare at her lips. His mind blanked of everything except that single question as his eyes focused on them. The words burned in his throat, and after a minute he felt that if he didn't voice it soon, he might never have the courage to do so again. Lifting his eyes back to meet hers, his hand drifted down to rest on her shoulder. "Kaname…"

"Sousuke."

"Can……can I…"

"What is it?" He paused, almost losing his nerve. He needed to say something soon, before the opportunity was lost forever. The uncertainty on his face was confusing her, as Kaname had wanted their moment to last a while longer. Seeing him still hesitating, she lifted her hand to place it over the one he had rested on her shoulder. A light sweat was shining off his brow as he gathered what little courage he had in such situations. After a rather large gulp, Sousuke took a deep breath and forced the words from his mouth.

"…may I, kiss you Kaname?"

She blinked slowly, absorbing his words, and then, slowly, a smile twitched at the corners of her lips and she nodded. Feeling a little giddy as a pleasant heat coursed through her body at the thought that _finally_ things would go somewhere between them, she quoted a common line in all those American movies she loved to watch, "I thought you'd never ask." Squeezing the hand on her shoulder encouragingly, she leaned forward ever so slightly and her eyes fluttered closed.

It didn't take him long to seize the opportunity, all too aware now of how fast such a precious thing could be taken from him, and his lips pressed against hers. His desperation was clear in the awkward exchange, and before he could pull away, Kaname wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and held him close. His lips parted against hers and he let out a soft sigh before shifting his hold to her waist and pulled her closer to him until she sat in his lap. There were so many things he had never told her before, and now that he was there with her, like that, he found the courage to say it, and the burning need to get the words in the open before something else could happen to steal her away from him. He never wanted to go on wondering 'what if' ever again. "Kaname," he had pulled away slightly, and his voice came out louder than he'd intended, forcing it through the thick lump that had formed in his throat. Taking a steadying breath, he tried again, "Kaname," that was better, "I… I need to tell you…"

Not known for her patience, when several too-long moments had passed without him following up or just kissing her again, she spoke up, not feeling irritated, just wanting something more. "Yes, Sousuke? What is it?"

His eyes focused squarely on hers, burning her with their heated intensity. She shuddered in his arms, her breath catching as she stared into what seemed his soul, a tumultuous storm brewing in those silver depths, and a her heart skipped a beat when he finally spoke again, "I love you."

She blinked slowly, her eyelids feeling heavy though from a far different reason than exhaustion, and she trembled slightly from excitement. He had said it! He loved her, and he had said it, he had admitted to his feelings first… "Oh," she whimpered softly, leaning forward and dropping her head on his chest as she calmed herself. So much was happening all at once, after so much despair between them, they were finally, _finally_, together, and getting things out in the open. Pulling back so she could look into his eyes again, she smiled widely, more tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. It felt silly, to cry over such a thing, like those overemotional girls she always scoffed at, but after everything she couldn't find it in her to be upset at herself. "I love you too, Sousuke, I love you too."

It was always so lovely when he smiled those rare, true smiles of his, and he brushed the hair away from her face softly, his rough fingertips sending a pleasant tingling sensation across her nerves. He leaned forward again, capturing her lips in another kiss, letting his emotions guide him through the actions. Hooking her arms under his and trailing her fingers down his back as his hands weaved their way into her thick hair, unintentionally pulling on strands in a way that shortened her breath and sent a flush across her body and a small moan from her throat. He pushed on, forward, until she laid on her back under him while he continued his assault on her senses without even realizing just what he was doing to her.

His trench coat falling around her was getting in the way, and she pushed it off his shoulders, glad when he was free of the heavy garment. It seemed her action had stirred a similar reaction him, her body shivered pleasantly as his hands slid across her shoulders to drop the straps of her sundress. Something seemed to tell him to stop, and he took in a shuddering breath, pulling back slightly. Sousuke's eyes were such a deep, dark grey now as to be almost black, passion deepening the hues of his irises and causing his pupils to widen, and she was sure she must have looked to be in much the same state. Smiling up at him, she threaded her fingers through his hair, marveling once more at how long it had gotten.

Something flashed over his expression, something that looked very much like pain, and Kaname wondered at it, looking up at him in concern as she went to drop her hand away from his hair. He shook his head, grasping her hand and keeping it where it was, sighing and leaning into her palm, his eyes closing as he took in the feel of having her touching his hair once again, that same sense of peace and trust he had felt when she had cut it washing over him. "Sousuke?" she asked timidly, his eye cracking open to look at her before closing again was the only indication he was listening, and she continued on softly, "Your hair is so long now. Doesn't it get in the way?" She knew there were times she cursed her long hair when working out and training, and there had been no few times that Bel and Mao had shown her just how it could be used against her. Even so, she had let it grow; if only so that when she finally found him again, it would seem as if nothing had changed.

Taking in a sharp breath, he froze completely, and she spotted that same pain as before in his eyes as he looked down at her. It was a glimpse of the man he had been these past months without her, a man who had lost everything and had been clinging onto the few things left that could give him any kind of reprieve from his anguish. "No one has touched it since you," he whispered hoarsely, and the full meaning of his words hit her hard. "I've made sure of that."

"Oh, Sousuke," her voice strained with emotion, and tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, tears for the pain he had been burdened with for so long. Running her fingers through his hair, her nails teasing at his scalp, she leaned up to kiss him, almost surprised when he returned the kiss desperately and fiercely, pushing her back against the ground as their passion flared up as though it had never subsided in the first place. Her tongue teased at his lips and he got the hint, his mouth opening and his own lashing out to wrestle with hers as they battled for dominance without even knowing why, or just what it was they were trying to gain control of. When Kaname realized the sensation tickling at her arms and breasts was his now-opened dress shirt, she pulled back reluctantly, smiling when Sousuke growled at her and tried to move on to her throat before being halted by a hand pushing back on his chest.

"Wait a moment, here," she pointed in the direction of the room in her suite that held her bed, "let's move this somewhere more comfortable."

**~~~Warning! Strong Citrus Flavor!!!~~~~~~**

He stared down at her in momentary confusion, his mind not appreciating the rude interruption before it completely sank in, and he nodded, nearly jumping to his feet as he pulled her up with him. She leaned over and turned off the lights and led him to the bedroom. Once the door was closed, she wasn't given any time before being pulled against his body again and kissed fiercely, possessively, by the only man she could ever let treat her so roughly. And, oh, was she enjoying the rough treatment, but even so, things were going to have to slow down at some point. She had no regrets about allowing this to go on and on, but it was her first time, and she was a bit of a romantic at times.

Kaname laughed softly as Sousuke cursed when the bunched fabric of her dress caught on her hips, laughing even harder when he looked up at her angrily and defiantly, as though he were some punk kid caught doing something bad and the adults around him were just saying 'Oh, isn't that cute?' or something else equally demeaning. Smiling slyly at him, she pushed against his shoulder playfully so that he would fall back onto the bed and twitched her finger in an 'uh-uh' gesture. "This is what happens when you're impatient." His jaw worked to reply but he was halted when she showed him the over-simple solution to the problem by gripping the hem of the sundress and pulling it over her head, rather than allowing it to pool at her feet. She had always been confident in her looks, and she stood unabashedly before him, clad in just white lace bra and panties. His eyes roamed hungrily over her body, bolstering her courage, and she sauntered towards him, though she was well beyond her comfort zone at that point, not quite sure how things might proceed from that point on. Oh, she knew where she and, if the erection she now found herself straddling was any indication, _he_ wanted things to go, but getting there…

His hands rested on her hips, smoothing their way up along her waist, sliding across the lace on her sides then down again, forward, fingertips tracing the lines of well-defined muscle along her taut stomach, and he idly wondered at it. He knew she was in shape, but she now had muscles like his, muscles toned for practical and combat use, not from school athletics. The way he looked at her body, the way he touched her, it was as though he were worshipping her every being and it made her feel _so_ good, so high on such a wonderful feeling. So _that_ was what it felt like to be loved and adored, she smiled, tilting her head back as he scraped the back of his short nails along her throat and sent shivers down her spine.

A musky scent filled his nostrils and on an instinctual level he knew what it was, causing him to throb painfully against his regretfully still fastened pants. Groaning, he wrapped an arm around her and rolled her onto her back, standing beside the edge of the bed and leaning over her. She tilted her head curiously, a smirk playing across her lips when she realized why he had moved them when she heard a zipper and then felt his pants fall against her legs. He kicked them off with a sigh of relief, a faint blush staining his cheeks as he realized that, if she miraculously hadn't noticed it before, she definitely would now know just how he was feeling at that moment. While he hadn't minded during their heated make-out session, and while her actions hadn't indicated any kind of reluctance, he still found himself feeling ashamed for thinking of her in such a vulgar manner.

It was sweet, she thought, but as he almost pulled back, it suddenly became aggravating. She wrapped her legs around his waist and twisted so that she straddled him again, and they slid off the bed with a soft _thump_, Sousuke staring at her determined expression with eyes wide. She pressed a harsh kiss against his mouth, nipping at his lower lip as she ground her hips against him, drawing a moan from each of them. Her head tilted back and he was over his hesitation now, seizing the prominent muscle of her throat with his teeth, biting and licking and suckling and biting again. She pulled the shirt he still wore down his arms, the sleeves staying hooked on his bent elbows as she trailed her nails across the backs of his shoulders harshly, her hips bucking against him favorably as her actions earned her another sharp bite.

So much for slowing down. There was no way she was going to be able to let things drop off from here, not with the intense sensations coursing along her veins. What he was doing felt _so_ wonderful, and she ground against him rhythmically as his fingers dug into her hips, bruising her with their vice-like grip. "Sousuke," she moaned his name, biting her lip so hard she tasted copper, hiding the scream that threatened to tear from her throat when he pinched her over-sensitive nipples roughly. It had hurt, but it felt so good, and she felt a brief pang of shame at enjoying it before another mixture of pleasure-pain blanked her mind. He had pulled her bra down from her breasts, the lace now itching uncomfortably at her waist as he dipped his head to take one taut bud in his mouth, tasting it experimentally with his tongue before grazing his teeth along it.

She dared to take her arms from the death-grip she had around him, teetering backwards until he wrapped one arm around her waist, a large hand splaying across her thigh, thumb grazing just where the inside of her thigh dipped down to that place which burned in need for him. And he didn't even realize what he was doing to her as she fumbled for the clasps of her bra, yanking harshly and tossing the article aside, sighing when the only things she could feel against her tingling chest now were calloused fingers and that magical mouth suckling on her fervently.

In awe of his fortitude when he found the strength to stand them up and turn her over onto the bed, knowing her legs were nothing but jelly at that point and that she couldn't have supported her own weight, let alone another person's, she opened her eyes and stared up at him dazedly, her chest rising and falling heavily as she breathed in deeply, lungs working to fill again. He looked as though he were fighting some kind of internal battle, and he bent to press his face into her neck, breathing in her sweet scent, a mixture of decadent soap, sweat from exertion, and the unique fragrance of her passion. Sighing heavily against her throat, his conscience demanded this of him, and he leaned back to look down into her eyes seriously, his words coming out tight, "Kaname, are you sure? I think… If this goes any further, I won't…"

Without hesitation, she wove her fingers into his hair and smiled up at him encouragingly, "I'm sure, Sousuke. I told myself I wouldn't let this opportunity pass when we were reunited. I've been waiting for this…," that was all he needed to hear. Under ordinary circumstances he would have let her finish her sentence, hanging on to her every word. These weren't ordinary circumstances though, and he had very little control of himself at that moment. He kissed her roughly, growling as their tongues warred with each other, something in him appreciating her enthusiasm and the challenge she was offering him. That same something in him wanted to tame her, if only temporarily, have her underneath him, crying his name, wanted to dominate that fierce spirit of hers.

Running his hands along her body, stopping to pay special attention to her breasts before continuing on, he slid his fingers teasingly across the hem of her panties before continuing on. Tickling at her thighs and under her knees, he urged her legs to unwrap from around his waist and pushed them forward, both of them grateful for her flexibility as he dropped his hands to hook under that offending garment hiding the last of her body from him. He yanked it up along those long, slender legs, tossing it behind him dismissively. She tried to lower her legs again, to wrap them around him again, but he didn't let her. Holding her legs to his chest with one arm, he kissed at the prominent bone in her ankle, scraping his teeth along her skin. A feral grin tugged at his lips when she shivered and whimpered his name, and he issued the same treatment to the other side. He _would_ have her begging. Splaying his free hand across her stomach, keeping her gently pressed to the bed as he tickled at the hyper-sensitive nerves across her abdomen, he gently bit at the back of her ankle and trailed nips down her calf muscle then up along the other leg.

All she could hold tightly onto were the sheets, her hands groping about and gaining a weak, grasping fix on his thighs. Her fingertips dug into the tight muscles, unable to wrap her hands securely around them because of the angle he was keeping her at. She needed something more tangible, the teasing touches of tongue and teeth and lips were driving her mad, and she tossed her head on the bed, her eyes narrowed to mere slits as she struggled to keep them open at all, needing to watch him, to keep an eye on him as he continued his sweet, sweet torture.

Intrigued by all of her reactions, he continued on, feeling a drive to make her squirm more and more. While the thought wasn't something that would usually cross his mind, he wasn't exactly thinking or considering his actions at that point. He bent her legs forward, stepping closer to the bed and she seized on the firmer grip of his legs available to her, nails biting into his rough skin hard enough to draw blood. The hand on her stomach reached up to massage at her breasts, switching between the two while his other arm switched its hold on her legs so that his fingers tickled at the sides of a calf muscle and opened up the rest of her legs to his ministrations. He licked and nipped at the undersides of her knees, reveling in every whimper, every twitch, every moan, and every shudder.

Drawing his hand from her chest, he knelt down at the side of the bed and eased her legs apart, draping them over his shoulders and yanking her closer to the edge of the bed, leaning forward to take in a deep breath of her musky scent. Everything in his was screaming at him to taste her and to take her, to know her completely, carnally, and to claim her as his so completely that no one could ever doubt it. Instincts driving him, directing him, he pressed his tongue against the bottom of that deliciously moist and warm spot and sliding it up along her, flicking against a hardened bud of nerves that had her biting her fist and screaming his name into her own flesh as she muffled the sound. While both of them were unable to form a coherent thought, their instincts were sharp enough to keep it drilled into them that they needed to be quiet, and Kaname was doing her damnedest to ensure she didn't let out any sounds louder than a harsh whisper.

Laving attention along her heated core, he teased at her, tasted her, and played with her as he worked to find all the things that had her holding back shouts. His teeth tugged at her lips, his tongue ran along everything it could find, dipping into her tight and inviting opening before running up again. His lips captured that bud and his teeth scraped across it and she bit into her abused fist again, tears forming at the corners of her eyes from how tightly she was squeezing them. His name became a chant, a prayer, and she whispered it over and over and over into the darkness, grateful for the rumbling thunder and torrential downpour outside that seemed to be hiding the worst of her sounds.

Bending over her, he pressed kisses along her lower abdomen, her legs that were draped over his shoulder trembled violently from the sensations, the muscles seizing and her heels digging into his back when he pressed a finger inside her arousal-slickened entrance. Twisting his finger around, he added another when she seemed to relax, continuing to flower her with reverent kisses as he stretched her. She had started to beg, for more, for something, neither of them knew what, but she was begging, and he settled back down, capturing that bud once more as his free hand teased at a nipple. Her body arched off the bed, her head tossed back, her fingers clawing into the bed for some kind of grasp on reality as her mouth opened in a silent shout and she tightened on him, her pleasure running down his captive hand.

Finally, she dropped to the bed, panting, her eyes open but unseeing as she came down from her ecstasy. Drawing his hand out, Sousuke stood up, dropped his boxers to the ground and stepped out of them, then ran his wet hand along his length before bending over her, angling the tip to where his fingers had just been. Kissing the corner of her mouth, he slowly pushed his way in. She moaned, coming back to herself just enough to lift her exhausted legs to wrap around his waist and her arms around his shoulders. He pressed in slowly, gritting his teeth as he forced himself to be gentle, rocking back and forth as she adjusted to him. He wondered at why he bothered though when she dug her fingers cruelly into his shoulders and muttered, "What're you waiting for?"

Grunting, he crudely shoved himself in the rest of the way, pressing his face into her neck once more as she bit into his shoulder muscle to muffle her cry. Taking a moment to get used to the sensation, his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he tried to get a handle on himself, it was Kaname that started moving first, rolling her hips against his until he lifted himself over her again and pulled back, then pushed forward, his movements awkward at first. They always were a good pair though, and it didn't take them long to fall into a rhythm. He had wanted to take his time, to savor the moment, but as she murmured things to him, commands, what she wanted him to do to make her feel good, he couldn't help but comply as they were what he wanted too. Harder, faster, rougher, more, more, more, she nipped his ear, licked his ear between orders, moaned into his ear each time he obeyed with abundant enthusiasm.

His teeth trailed along her throat, up along her jaw, returned the favor to her ears, and then back down again. He panted heavily, kissing her between feverish breaths, amazed she was able to talk to him as his throat felt thick and his breath was labored. Their hands trailed over each other's bodies, not paying attention to any particular spots, they just felt the burning drive to touch, to feel, to discover, and they groped at anything they could reach. Sousuke's eyes squeezed shut as Kaname bit into his clavicle, bruising the skin immediately with the pressure, and he could feel her tighten on him again, and he dropped to his knees, dragging her off the bed with him. She rested her head on his shoulder as they sat there for a few moments, Sousuke gripping her hips and lifting her, dropping her on him, and lifting again and again at a slow but gently increasing pace.

She shifted so that she straddled him, rather than sat on him, and slowly took over the motions for herself, bouncing on top of him in a way that had him groaning. His eyes were completely glazed over with lust, and he snaked his head forward to capture her throat again, teeth working roughly at the abused skin as his fingers dug into her firm ass and assisted in her movements, their position not lending itself well to him moving his own hips, though he did what he could. She slowed the pace to a torturous speed, knowing exactly what she was doing to him as she felt the rumble of growling reverberating along the prominent muscle in her neck. She also knew exactly what kind of reaction that would get, feeling satisfied when he spun them around and tossed her roughly against the floor, burying himself inside of her over and over again and a brutalizing pace that Kaname matched despite her soreness.

He wasn't going to last much longer, and he was determined to get one more orgasm out of her before giving in. Teeth working at her delicious throat still, he twisted one arm to hook under a knee of hers and push forward until her knee was nearly on the ground beside her head, and his other hand dipped down to tease at her lower abdomen as his thumb sought out her clit once more. The new angle offered such a deep and complete penetration that she let out a harsh breath in place of a scream and whispered fiercely, "_Fuck, Sousuke_."

The vulgarity was not lost on him, and he felt completely satisfied that he had accomplished his goal of completely dominating her as she shuddered and clamped down on him once again, drawing out his own climax as he growled out her name inarticulately. Freeing her leg, he collapsed on top of her, his head resting on her ample breasts as they both lay there, sweat-soaked and panting for air, unaware of anything but each other as their veins hummed and nerves danced in a way that made them at once numb and over-sensitive.

**~~~~~End of Citrus~~~~~**

The few seconds of catching their rasping breaths seemed to last for hours as the feeling returned to their satiated limbs, allowing them both to feel more relaxed than either could ever remember. Finally able to lift himself slightly off of her, Sousuke moved to kiss Kaname once more before making another effort to move. Though their breaths had slowed and the blood calmed, the sense of absolute euphoria clung to their every nerve as their muscles recovered from the sensory overload. Kaname giggled when Sousuke stumbled as he stood, succeeding for only a moment before his knees gave, forcing him to sit on the edge of the bed they had barely used. Hearing her giggle, he almost looked as if he pouted, inciting another small laugh from the young woman still on the floor.

The look on his face was priceless, and Kaname's giggles persisted until she was able to kneel in front of him and plant a quick kiss on his nose. "I love you Sousuke." Just as quickly as his pout had appeared, it receded into a relaxed smile. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her close for a while longer, knowing that their time of peace would end all too soon.

"I doubt I will _ever_ tire of hearing that Kaname." Remaining in their soft embrace, the storm continued to pound down on the mansion, the occasional thunder was the only sound as it resonated through the room. Knowing that if they didn't move soon, they most likely wouldn't until after another round of breathless passion, Sousuke pulled back to meet Kaname's still happy gaze. "We can't stay like this Kaname. We need to leave while the rain can still cover our tracks." Somewhat surprised that her face didn't fall at his statement, she leaned up to kiss his forehead before standing and walking quickly to the dresser near the corner of the bedroom. Sousuke kept a close watch on the storm as they both gathered their clothing and dressed, hoping that the rain would continue its assault on the mansion, as well as the jungle beyond for just a little while longer.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Bleed it Out**

Sousuke crouched in the darkness, holding his gun firmly as he observed the guards in the hallway. After both had dressed, Sousuke had given Kaname his backup Glock and a spare magazine. His mind wandered momentarily, as he remembered the shock on his face when, without needing any instructions, Kaname checked the loaded clip for the remaining number or rounds before she would need to reload. When she had noticed his questioning gaze, her face had fallen a moment, telling him that she would explain later when they were in a safer location. Watching as another guard passed by the door, Sousuke turned to make sure Kaname was ready to move out. Seeing a brief nod from her, he turned back to focus on the guards' positions in the shadows drenched hallway. Finally seeing an opening, Sousuke signaled for Kaname to follow, making sure to keep as quiet as possible as they both ducked into the darkest shadows they could find.

The heavy rains were still pounding down on the roof of the mansion, letting them know that they still had time to complete their escape. From what Kaname had learned of the mansion during her captivity, there was a European-style garden on the far eastern side of the compound, located just behind the large pool area. If they could make it, there was a chance that one of the trees would have a high enough branch for them to get over the perimeter wall.

Kaname was still cursing her luck though. Being trapped in the pale and colorless mansion, all of her available clothing would help her to blend in with the deep shadows, as everything they had for her to wear was white as well. She'd been fortunate enough to locate a tank-top and a pair of leggings, but had to settle for a pair of Chinese slippers. Once over the wall and in the surrounding jungle, her clothing alone would be enough for anyone to spot them, and it was pissing her off that even with all that she had been trained to do in the past eight months, that during their escape she would be a dangerous liability.

Silently, they both crept through the hallway in the direction of the east gardens, being careful to not trip on the multitudes of electrical wires that lay scattered along the floor. If there was one benefit of Kaname's Chinese slippers, it would be that they were almost completely silent with her movements. Coming up closely behind Sousuke, he leaned carefully to peak around the corner. Only two guards stood vigilant between them and yet another doorway that could get them closer to their intended destination. Lifting his hand while keeping his eyes trained on the two men, he signaled to Kaname the number of opponents. Using other simple hand gestures that he figured she could understand, he signaled her to cross to the other side of the hallway, while remaining in the shadows. The hallways weren't brightly lit, but if their position was given away, it would only making their escape that much more difficult.

Kaname backed into the darkness before dashing quietly across the hallway to hide herself in the alcove across from him. Making sure to keep in the shadows, they moved closer to the two men standing guard in the doorway. When finally behind them, both silently leapt from their hiding spots and, with two simultaneous cracks, the men fell as pounding thunder covered the sound of their bodies collapsing onto the hardwood floor. Sousuke hesitated a moment, watching as Kaname began to drag one of the men into the darkness of the empty room near her, the gun still gripped in her left hand. Coming back to himself, he took hold of the other guard and dragged him into the shadow drenched room behind Kaname. After leaning the dead men against the far wall behind a large oak desk, Sousuke turned to look her pointedly in the eye. "Kaname."

"Sousuke?"

"Before anything else happens, tell me in as few words as possible, what happened after I left?" He noticed that she flinched again. She had done that before they had left the room when he had asked as well. Her shoulders seemed to slump, and when he glanced down, the hand that held her gun now trembled slightly.

"As few words as possible huh?"

"Affirmative." She seemed to contemplate whether or not she should try to get out of explaining anything. Her hair hung around her, its blue-black aura shining against the faint light through the rainy window. Taking a deep breath, she turned to look at him, and he could see that the stormy weather was reflecting the conflict deep within her chocolate eyes. "Please Kaname, I…I need to know." Seeing her steel herself for a moment, she then turned to face him directly, a determined look in her eye.

"Then if you're sure, I'll tell you in words you can comprehend." Slowly, she repositioned herself to take parade rest in front of him, making sure to keep her posture immaculate. Still making sure to keep her voice down, she lifted her gaze to meet his. "As of 17 October, Kaname Chidori, Codename: Angel, will henceforth be assigned to the operation of the Armslave ARX-7 Arbalest. Due to the disappearance of Sergeant Sagara in the line of duty, Kaname Chidori will take temporary rank on the flagship Tuatha De Daanan of the West Pacific Battle Fleet under the new Codename: Urzu 7. In return for her services, a three man team from the Intelligence department will be transferred under her command to aid in the search for former Sergeant Sousuke Sagara." Kaname had to control herself as the horror in his eyes grew. She had known that he would be devastated by what had happened while he was gone, but in all reality, he would have found out eventually anyway.

He stumbled back for a moment, leaning up against the desk as his mind processed the information she'd just told him. _'She's been…my replacement?'_ His mind still reeling at the possibilities and implications, he managed to look back at her for one final question. "Kaname…before today, did you…have you ever…?" As much as she wanted to ignore the look in his eyes, the one hoping beyond all measure that he would be wrong, Kaname could never lie to him about something this important.

"Including the guard in the hallway… it would bring my confirmed kill count up to 32 in the last seven months." Thankful that her hands were still hidden behind her back, her fingers now shook with the strength of her grip on the gun. Breaking eye contact for a moment, she brought her head down to gather her thoughts. Telling him had ended up being almost more painful than the memories of her confirmed kills. Her eyes had started burning again, and once she lifted her head again, small rivers poured down her cheeks. "Aren't you proud of me Sousuke? I never hesitated; just like you taught me."

The stricken emotion etched across his face was enough to break her heart, but for his sake, Kaname would make sure to stay as strong as she was able. Though a few tears had broken through, she would have to make sure that no others would be able to sneak by. She watched as he leaned motionless against the desk, not daring to move an inch should she be playing some sort of cruel joke on him. His breathing seemed to speed up, and she noticed his shoulders had begun to shake. "Kaname…" Managing to lift his head to look at her again, Kaname felt her resolve starting to crack at the look in his eyes. "Kaname…how…how can you even stand to look at me?"

"What do you mean?"

"Wraith was right. Calling me a third rate bodyguard would be a compliment. I don't deserve your forgiveness…"

SMACK!!!

The force of her hand across his face had thrown it to the side, a red patch now forming where she had hit him. He sat frozen in the same position until it had processed in his mind, his eyes still wide as the shock flowed through his veins. Finally regaining his senses, he brought up a hand to touch his abused cheek. "If you think for one second that I blame you for ANY of this…" The threat was left hanging in the thick silence between them, the rain still coming down in sheets outside the window panes. "You were told a lie, Sousuke. You had no proof of the contrary, and you already had to deal with leaving me behind and being told to operate a machine you hated with every fiber of your being." Slowly, his silvered gaze came up to look at her. Kaname was furious that he would try to take the blame for what had happened, and even when the circumstances had been completely against him, he had reacted as anyone had given the situation. Kaname had never even considered blaming him for any of it, so like hell she was going to let him go on blaming himself!

"You have no idea what I've had to go through to try to find you. I've had to learn how to kill, with both my hands and with a gun. I've taken the lives of those who sought to end my own! I've had to learn how to fight in the Arbalest …everything…Sousuke, everything I've done was so that I could find you and bring you back home!" Her hands and shoulders were shaking visibly now, and despite her earlier conviction, thin streams of hot tears streaked their way down her warm cheeks. Kaname glared at him, making sure he could see the saddened anger that reflected in them. Moving quickly, Kaname leaned in to plant a fast but firm kiss on his lips, her tears adding a salty taste. Pulling only slightly away from him, she spoke softly against his lips.

"You're still the only one I trust. Nothing has _ever_ changed that Sousuke." Standing back up to her full height, she looked him directly in his steel grey eyes as she cocked the gun he'd given her back in her suite. "Now, are you going to trust me as well Sousuke?" Her tears had dried up, her hands and shoulders had steadied, and the raw determination to escape the pristine hell she'd had to occupy shone brightly in her deep brown eyes. She held out her hand to him, waiting patiently for him to come back to his senses.

It had only taken fractions of a second for him to take her hand firmly in his own, the instant reassurance warming her from deep inside. Taking a moment to plant feather light kisses on her knuckles; he was finally able to make eye contact with her, his deep grey orbs holding a faint shine to them. "There's no one I trust more." Both only took a few seconds to bask in the momentary comfort of the other, feeling almost rejuvenated in their desire to escape together. Making sure the bodies of the guards wouldn't be immediately discovered, they took up positions on either side of the heavily shadowed door to watch for any sign of new guards. Once the coast was clear, the two teenagers silently exited the dark study; the only proof of their visitation shoved under the large desk at the back of the room.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The rain had continued its deluge over the mansion as the two ran from hedge to hedge. Kaname had still felt vulnerable due to her clothing, so once a way out of the main house had been located Sousuke gave her his coat for cover. Though the heavy leather only added to the weight on her back created by her wet hair, she was far less able to be spotted this way. The European style garden was massive, with tall rose hedges, gazebos, and ridiculous topiary decorations dotting the cobblestone path. So far they had been lucky; it seemed only regular guards were all that was needed so far on the Eastern side of the house. Knowing Leonard and his ego, he probably figured that normal guards would be enough to take down Kaname should she try anything. The thought that any of these so called 'guards' would have posed any sort of threat at all was making her laugh inside. Though Sousuke lead the way, she had taken down her fair share of the guards along the way, unfortunately raising her personal kill count up to almost 50. She still wasn't proud of any of it, but if there was ever a time to grieve later; it would have to be now.

Ducking behind yet another large rose hedge, the two held their breath as another guard came by to patrol the area. Just as the guard was almost by Kaname cursed her luck as she felt a sneeze coming on. She quietly gasped twice before a hand clamped tightly over her face, silencing the noise and freezing her movements. Sousuke held her tightly, hoping the rain had drowned out the faint sounds of her sneeze. Keeping a close eye on the guard as he passed by, he slowly released Kaname and continued down the path. A hard look on her face, Kaname made a mental note that once they were no longer in danger, to smack him good for nearly smacking her with how quick he had been to cover her face. Just before they were able to turn the corner and disappear from the guard's sight, an alarm rang loudly throughout the mansion, freezing everyone in their tracks.

-ATTENTION ALL UNITS! MS. CHIDORI HAS DISAPPEARED FROM HER CHAMBERS! KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR A YOUNG JAPANESE WOMAN IN WHITE! RESTRAIN ONLY! I REPEAT, FIND THE JAPANESE WOMAN IN WHITE, BUT DO _NOT_ KILL HER!!-

"Aw, fuck!" Her hand came up quickly as Kaname realized she had not only spoken her mind at an incredibly bad time, but she had spoken it a little too loudly. Sousuke turned his head to her, a look of pure grimace across his face. On the top of the mansion the guards took up positions to activate the search lights, casting bright spots to dance along the grounds as they scanned for their target. The guard they had passed turned when he overheard Kaname's curse, yelling out a 'halt!' to the unfamiliar pair standing on the twisted garden path. Realizing their cover was almost assuredly blown now, Sousuke didn't waste any time. Taking quick aim he silenced the guard with a quick and clean headshot before grabbing Kaname's wrist and bolting down the path to duck into the shadows.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Carefully following the two shadows as they made their way through the gardens, Isra Nagi sat comfortably in her chair near the grand window, quietly sipping at her nice cup of oolong tea. Once the shadows had disappeared from sight once more, she turned to her guard with a sweet look on her face. "Excuse me, but would you mind stepping outside for a moment? I'd like to change for the night please." Receiving a quick nod, the guard quietly exited the room. Once the door had closed, she locked it tightly behind her and retreated to the bathroom closet, the farthest point from the door. Once there, she kneeled and pulled out the earpiece and speaker she had hid under her blouse and plugged them into the 'walkman' she had brought with her. Pulling out the concealed antenna, she punched in a quick code using the four buttons on the side and opened her secured line. "This is codename Wraith reporting to TDD-HQ, I repeat, this is codename Wraith reporting to TDD-HQ."

"We read you Wraith, please report."

"Yes Captain. The angel and the idiot are on the move independent of my influence. It seems they found out about each other before I could make my move."

"That's fine Wraith. What are your coordinates?"

"I'm presently at Latitude 22, Longitude 98; approximately 75 miles South of Mong Yai. The targets are moving East from that point."

"Excellent Wraith. Will you need any backup with your escape?

"That's a negative Captain. I can slip out of here better than these fools can. I will contact the Intelligence Division in three days. Wraith out."

"Mr. Kalinin, please alert all SRT personnel that they will be launching shortly."

"Yes Captain."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The spotlights flashed into every dark crevice they could find, while both guards and Alastors ran through the grounds, searching for their target. Still managing to move as swiftly as possible, Kaname and Sousuke continued moving toward the exterior wall. Dodging between hedges and behind gazebos and bird sanctuaries, they ran down the cobbled path, scanning the area for the largest tree so they could be given a boost over the high perimeter wall. Just as they found one that looked tall enough, a small red light caught Kaname's eye as they ran. They had been spotted by an Alastor. The machine let out a loud alarm to mark the direction the targets were heading, every available guard and Alastor turning to focus on their new direction.

Finally coming to a high enough tree, Sousuke turned and cupped his hands just in time for Kaname to step on them, their combined velocity propelling her up into the thick boughs above. Quickly pulling out his favorite utility knife, he drove it deep into the wood as high as he was able, beginning the task of pulling himself up close enough for Kaname to help him up the rest of the way. A few bullets whizzed by his shoulder, splinters of the bark flaying off as the bullets skimmed the surface. Two guards were closing in, and just as they were readying their sights to fire, Kaname managed to take down both during their brief moments of hesitation. "Dammit Sousuke! Get your ass up here already!"

"Working on it Kaname!" With another grunt, he found a secure foothold and finished lifting himself up onto the branch next to her. Carefully moving across the outstretched wood, they were able to drop down easily into the slight hill outside the massive walls. Catching their breaths for only a moment, the sound of numerous Alastors gaining in volume from behind the wall, Kaname shed the heavy coat in favor of speed over concealment as they ran headlong into the dense jungle.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"All SRT personnel have boarded their M9s and are awaiting deployment Captain."

"Thank you Mr. Kalinin. Mr. Mardukas, has the present been wrapped?"

"Yes Madam Captain. It's wrapped and ready for delivery."

"Make sure the Arbalest has been equipped with a spare boxer shot cannon and rounds."

"Aye Ma'am."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Running as fast as the muddy, tree entangled terrain would allow, both Kaname and Sousuke took momentary cover behind a large tree to fire on the pursuing Alastors. Seeing the bullets had no effect other than a few dings and scrapes, they turned and picked up speed once more. "Son of a BITCH!! Why won't these damn things go down already!?"

"Kaname, what in the world happened to you?"

"I spent a LOT of time with Melissa Sousuke! Stuff just rubbed off!"

"You don't smoke like a chimney and drink like a fish do you?"

"FUCK NO!" Even running at his top speed, Sousuke managed a rueful smirk at her response. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, despite being in a life-threatening situation. But then again, it had been awhile since he had been in a life or death situation, with _her_. Even with their lives in imminent danger, he felt almost elated that he could experience something like this again. It had brought back so many of the treasured memories that he had locked away, mostly to save himself from the unbelievable pain they caused. Now they had once again been set free, and as they ran through the mud caked jungles, it felt as if he was coming back from the dead.

In the brief distance in front of them came the gathering of many small red lights, and trying to gain a foothold in the slippery mud to slow down was proving to be easier said than done. Somehow a large group of Alastors had circled them, and using the surrounding jungles to their advantage, had cut off their escape route to gather from the front and spread out to catch the renegade teens. Finally sliding to a stop, they drew their guns and held them out to ensure the machines kept their distance. His earlier elation now hampered by visions of their deaths in this hellish jungle, they stood with their backs pressed together, each hold their guns outward, promising that they would not be taken easily. Still, both Kaname and Sousuke knew that if they decided to close in any more, any sort of plan would most likely end with their demise, though hers would probably be more akin to the death of a lab rat, and his would be just another body lost to the dangers of the surrounding jungles. The bullets they carried just weren't enough to take down the ridiculous mini AS's that had pursued them. Lowering one arm to find his, Kaname held tightly, making sure to keep her sights on the surrounding robots. "Sousuke?"

"Yes Kaname?"

"I…If it comes down to it,…"

"Affirmative. Better to die here than to be subjected to whatever they have in store right?"

"…yes." The grip on each other's hands grew tighter. Neither had wanted to voice the possibility, but once again, reality just had to come crashing down on them. Kaname knew she was crying again, but the rain had made her tears indistinguishable as they trailed down her already soaked face. It was a hard truth to accept, but this time there may truly be no way to get out with their lives. As the tears left her eyes, Kaname wondered at what kind of life they could have had if things had gone differently. Would they have had long, happy lives? Could they ever have gone back to Jindai together? If they graduated, could they have gone to the same college? And after that, what would he look like all dressed up? What sort of ceremony would they have had to bind them together forever? Could Tessa have been so accepting as to be the one to perform it so they could have it aboard the Daanan?

Innumerable questions ran past her mind as they attempted to keep the growing crowd of Alastors at bay for a while longer. Clearing the thickness from her throat, Kaname spoke once more. "Sousuke?"

"Yes Kaname?"

"Even if we…I'm so glad it was with you." Though his eyes softened at her words, he kept his face grip as he stared down the barrel, making sure to sweep it across the slowly enclosing Alastors.

"I know. I wouldn't have it any other way." Letting go of her hand a moment, he backed up to throw an arm around her shoulders. Feeling her free arm come up to wrap around his torso, their focus never wavering from the robots surrounding them. Still wrapped within their make-shift hug, Kaname felt her tears dry, increasing the focus in her eyes as she made sure of her aim.

"I love you Sousuke."

"I love you too Kaname. Maybe we'll have better luck in another life." He felt his heart breaking as she whimpered, fighting back another wave of tears. Though her grip was still as strong as ever, he felt her whole body shaking.

"Yes, Sousuke. We'll have better luck next time…"

Things seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as the Alastors were leaning back, preparing to leap on their targets, the couple shared what they thought would be their final kiss before meeting death together. As the Alastors leapt at them from all sides, loud explosions rang out from all around, circling the two as they dropped to their knees in shock. Kneeling in the dirt and mud, covering each other as best they could from any shrapnel or flying splinters, their eyes shot open as a loud voice from above boomed over its external speakers."Whoo-Hoo! Yeah! Let's get this party started!"

**____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**

**I know, I know, I am like uber evil for leaving off here. But the good news is that I already have the next one started. Sorry for taking so long, writer's block can be hell when your wracking your brain for just the right word or phrase. Hope your all still liking it though! It's even exciting from my end too! I think I'm getting the hang of things finally, which mean we've got lots of actiony goodness in the next one! We still need to deal with Leonard! Ja ne!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – White Reflection**

_Last Time…_

_Things seemed to happen in slow motion. Just as the Alastors were leaning back, preparing to leap on their targets, the couple shared what they thought would be their final kiss before meeting death together. As the Alastors leapt at them from all sides, loud explosions rang out from all around, circling the two as they dropped to their knees in shock. Kneeling in the dirt and mud, covering each other as best they could from any shrapnel or flying splinters, their eyes shot open as a loud voice from above boomed over its external speakers."Whoo-Hoo! Yeah! Let's get this party started!"_

"Kurz?"

"Yo, Angel babe! You skipped out on us in Prague! We thought you didn't like us anymore!"

"Shut up and get to work Weber! Don't make me shove my foot up your ass!"

"Melissa!"

"Hey Kaname! Hold tight while we take care of these things, then we'll take you to a safer spot, got it? That goes double for you Sousuke. You do anything stupid and you'll have to hear it from me got that?" Though still in shock, a light smirk broke through.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Good. Now you two hold tight." The two M9s fired on all of the Alastors they could locate in the immediate area, decimating both the jungle and parts of the mansion's perimeter wall. A few of the guards were crushed in the opening attack, either by scrambling Alastors or by the large trees and pieces of walls coming back down to earth after being blown from the ground. When the Alastors began their retreat, Melissa ordered Kurz to provide support fire as she went back to pick up their lost team mates. Leaning down so that she could open both of the M9's hands for them, Kaname and Sousuke climbed on. Moving her hair from her face as the mech ran through the heavy jungles, Kaname held tightly to the thumb of the M9.

"Melissa! Are we going back to the Daanan?"

"Not yet Kaname. We're gonna need both of your help first. A scan of this place from our satellites show it could be holding some powerful machinery here. Kurz and I are gonna fall back so you and Sousuke can destroy it. Then we can get out of here."

"But both of us won't fit in the Arbalest cockpit Mao!"

"You let us worry about that Sousuke." As the M9 barreled its way through the thick jungles, the two teenagers held as tight as they could while the rain and wind harshly fought against them. Finally coming to a stop, the mech leaned over to allow Sousuke and Kaname to step onto the large stone tiles of one of the many forgotten temples that lay scattered throughout the area. Once on the ground, Kaname noticed that the rain had finally begun to slow, coming down in light, misty sprinkles. Spotting the large shadow cloaked form of the Arbalest, Kaname ran over to open the hatch.

Sousuke stood back, mesmerized as he watched her skillfully climb up the arm and unlock the hatch for the cockpit. For a moment he lost himself as he watched the strong muscles in her thighs flex during her climb, briefly surrendering to the memory of those same thighs wrapped around his torso. A loud cough over the M9's external speakers broke him out of his reverie, reminding him that they were still in a highly dangerous area. Now was _definitely_ not the time to be fantasizing about such things. "Sousuke, it's good to see you again."

"You too Mao; um…"

"Yeah?"

"I…I'm sorry. For what happened in Hong Kong; I was wrong to say those things to you." Melissa silently thanked the engineers that had installed the upgrades to her M9's external camera system. Even though everything outside was soaked in rain and splattered with mud, she could still clearly make out the nervous expression he wore as he waited to hear whether or not his apology would be accepted. It was a familiar feeling to her, knowing that even though he had reacted as anyone would have, that he would try to take on all the blame by himself. Smiling down at the glowing screen in front of her, Melissa stood her mech back up.

"Sousuke?"

"Yes?"

"Just buy me a six pack and some smokes and we'll call it even. Deal?" A look of surprise passed over his face, before finally relaxing into one of relief, his nearly invisible smirk coming through. Lifting his hand to scratch at the back of his head, he looked back up at the giant mech in front of him.

"Affirmative."

"Good. Now you guys just hold on a moment, we've got a present coming for you Sousuke."

"Present?" The air was thickening with the scent of ozone as Melissa and Kurz activated their ECS. Thankfully the rain had all but stopped except for the ever present mist that seemed to permeate the air during an exceptionally heavy rainy season. Hearing the cracking of the large trees behind him, Sousuke turned to see the Arbalest standing up, his mind reeling at the memory of how he had seen it move during the siege in the Himalayas.

Kaname slipped her arms and legs into the Arbalests controllers, powering up the machine as soon as she was seated. Even though it had been a month since she had that in that seat, it felt as if she had never left. "Hey AL, so did you miss me?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori. Question: Have you been well in my absence?-

"I've managed. Go ahead and load any pre-set mission parameters AL. Set bi-lateral angle to 3.5 and set power to military, have the Lambda Driver on stand-by with activation on my mark."

-Roger. Processing Requests- As AL started up the systems, Kaname caught sight of the picture she had taped up to the edge of one of the monitors. Memories of the happy times she had spent with Kyoko and the others came back to her as she stared at it, along with the faint hope that maybe she would be able to see them all soon. Over to the side of the picture stood her Sergeant, still with his ever present not-quite-there smirk. Remembering that he was just a few yards away, she glanced at one of the other monitors to find him speaking to Melissa's M9. _'Probably thinks he needs to explain himself for Hong Kong,'_ she thought. Turning on the exterior speakers, she smiled as she caught the last part of Melissa telling him that a six pack and a carton of smokes would be enough to call them even. A light series of beeps brought back her focus as AL alerted her to the system updates.

-Bi-lateral angle set to 3.5, power set to military, Lambda Driver has been set on stand-by mode and is ready for full activation. All mission parameters have been successfully downloaded Miss Chidori.-

"Thanks AL. Is there an extra unit coming for Sousuke?"

-Affirmative Miss Chidori. It should arrive in another 150 seconds.-

"Good job AL. Please upload the mission parameters and play any audio files that coincide with it."

-Roger-

Within seconds, a window popped up with the image of Tessa on the screen. Waiting patiently as the video continued to load, Kaname took a moment to mentally prepare herself for the coming mission. She would have loved more than anything to simply retreat to the Daanan and lock both herself and Sousuke away in her bunk for a few hours, but this world was far from perfect. The mission, and their safety, would always come first. "Sergeant Chidori, this video was made to play in the event that you successfully reached the Arbalest safely. We have a separate Armslave coming for Mr. Sagara that should arrive a few minutes after the ARX-7's confirmed landing. As a confirmed Amalgam station of Operations, you have been asked to destroy it in its entirety. Amalgam must not be given a reason to come back to this site, so you must do all you can to ensure its decimation. Mr. Sagara will be assisting you in this regard, and once the facility has been taken care of, you have both been granted permission to board the Daanan. Lieutenant Mao and Sergeant Major Weber will provide additional support, and Urzu-1, 4, and 5 are on stand-by should they be needed. Also, since it has been confirmed that Mr. Sagara is with you, we will be allowing him to use his former call sign for the purpose of this mission. You will be answering to the call sign 'Angel'. I wish you both good luck Sergeant Chidori, and look forward to your safe return. This is Captain Teletha Testarossa of TDD-HQ, out."

Kaname sat back in the pilot's chair, a sigh of relief freed itself from her throat. Focusing her mind, she activated the sonar to try and locate where the other Armslave would land. It took a moment, but finally it appeared on screen; showing up at around a hundred kilometers to the South. Just as she was about to activate the external speakers, another Armslave was detected. Its speed was incredible, and if it wasn't for the surrounding ruins and jungles slowing it down, it would have caught her completely off guard. At the last second, Kaname was able to raise an L.D. shield, just barely deflecting the attack and causing the Arbalest to stumble backwards. As soon as she recovered she frantically checked the surrounding grounds for Sousuke, hearing the faint blips of the surrounding readout signaling that Melissa and Kurtz had thankfully moved away in time. Still unable to see him, Kaname turned on the infrared scanners, hoping to any deity that would listen that he'd moved out of the way in time. She felt her breath quicken as she continued to scan the area, unable to see where he went. Kaname could feel the tears stinging the corners of her eyes, feeling the pain in her heart grow with every second that she couldn't see him. Still trying to locate Sousuke, she almost missed the warning beeps signaling that the unfamiliar Armslave was approaching again.

"AL! How come we keep getting surprised by this guy?" Kaname yelled as she just barely blocked yet another lightning fast attack.

-Unable to read enemy AS specs. Miss Chidori, I suggest we retreat immediately.-

"We can't do that yet AL! We still have to find Sousuke and destroy the mansion!" The enemy unit leaped at the Arbalest, unfolding what looked like wings from its back as it raced toward them. "Shit!" Kaname threw up another L.D. field just before impact, the enemy AS releasing its own field as well. Caught in a power struggle, Kaname mentally pushed as hard as she could, trying to push back the strange new enemy. Loud beeps rang through the cockpit as Al's voice announced that the arms were nearing their breaking point, a small bead of sweat running down the back of her neck as Kaname attempted to draw out as much of the Lambda Driver's power as possible. Glancing to the right screen, she could see the blip marking the remaining time until Sousuke's AS would arrive. _'If I can just…hold out…a little longer!' _ The blip had reached the final marking point, displaying that the unit should almost be right on top of them. _'Dammit! Sousuke where are you!?' _

Sousuke held tight to the M9's massive thumb, his head spinning at the slight whiplash he received when Kurz's mech had grabbed him at the last second before the enemy's attack. His hair whipped with the wind that flew by as Kurz came down for a hard landing on top of one of the ruins' open courtyards. "Hot damn! One second later and you would have been nothin' but squirrel pie buddy!" Bending over, he set Sousuke down, his friend stumbling a moment before the rush wore off enough to let Sousuke stand on his own. Despite feeling so rejuvenated that Kaname was alive, and that his former comrades had forgiven him for his transgression, his body was still aching from lack of adequate rest and nourishment. The sprint through the jungle hadn't helped much, and he was beginning to question whether or not he would even be of any use in this fight. Dropping to his knees to try and center himself, Sousuke never noticed Kurz exit his mech and jump down the long mechanized arm toward him. "Hey, Sousuke." Managing to raise his head at his friend's words, his eyes focused on the three calorie mates held out to him. "Looks like you need these more than I do. Eat up, we're gonna need your help man." Just as he reached out for the small plastic wrappers, a loud crash sounded from where they had just been. Both soldiers quickly turned to see a strange looking Armslave rush at the Arbalest. Both mechs activated their L.D. fields and were vying for supremacy when Sousuke's eyes widened at the Arbalests opponent.

"Kurz! How much longer until that extra unit gets here?! Do you know if it has a Lambda Driver?!"

"Should be just under a minute now, why? What's wrong?"

"Kaname can't handle that thing on her own! I'm not even sure the Arbalest could handle it regardless if a Whispered pilots it!"

"Okay slow down, what the hell makes that thing so special?"

"It's Leonard Testarossa's personal Armslave! He built that monster himself; it's a fourth generation Armslave!"

"You serious?! Aw, son of a bitch!" Running a hand through his long blonde hair, he ran up his M9's arm to check the location of the extra unit. Pulling up the screen, he was relieved to see that the marking blip had its location nearly right on top of them. Jumping back up out of the cockpit, he yelled down that it was still 80 seconds from dropping. Sousuke turned back toward the bright light of the two warring L.D. fields, hoping that Kaname could out just long enough for him to board the extra unit. With any luck, he may be able to at least distract Leonard long enough to let Kaname get far enough away and shoot it from a distance.

Watching the two units carefully, Sousuke wondered why the Arbalest wasn't moving the way he'd seen it in the Himalayas. Kaname was still trying to push it back with nothing more than the L.D. field for its defense. It wasn't making sense, even with the superior movements of the Belial; Kaname should have been able to keep moving just out of reach. His mind running at a hundred miles an hour, Sousuke finally figured out why the mech was using such sluggish movements. Running back over to Kurz's M9, he climbed up just as Kurz was getting ready to climb back down to him. "H-Hey, wait a minute Sousuke! What are you doing?"

"Kaname doesn't know I'm here with you. She's holding back because she's afraid she might hurt me, I'm borrowing your M9 so I can radio her that I'm okay." Disappearing into the cockpit, Kurz turned to keep an eye on the fight when he noticed a light shining in the sky. Too big to be a star, Kurz felt relieved when it dipped farther toward the ground, letting him see it a little clearer. Its bright white and red paint seemed to shine in the glare from the rival L.D. fields nearby, and if its trajectory was constant, it would land about 50 meters behind their current position. Noticing that Sousuke had exited and was descending down the mechs large arm, Kurz ran and leaped up. "What's wrong?"

"Your unit is here. It should land about 50 meters behind us, so I need to get you there."

"Roger."

"Hold on tight pal. This is gonna be a bumpy ride."

"Not a problem Urzu 6."

-Miss Chidori, we are experiencing severe external damage to the hands and arms. I suggest retreating immediately-

"I can't do that AL! Not until I know where Sousuke is, he could be here somewhere. If that's true, then I refuse to abandon him!" Pushing her Lambda Driver to its limits, Kaname continued to hold back the strange machine as much as she could. Though putting up a strong resistance, the pressure of the opposing L.D. fields was starting to take its toll on the Arbalest. The paint from the hands and fingers had begun to strip away, with small pieces of the bulkier parts of the forearm breaking apart from the frame. Receiving an alert, Kaname had to try and control her temper, aiming it at the jerk that was attacking her. "What is it AL?"

-We are being hailed by Urzu 6's M9 Miss Chidori-

"Patch it through!" Still concentrating on holding back the enemy mech in front of her, AL connected the transmission and opened up the speakers.

"Kaname! Do you read me?"

"Sousuke?"

"Don't worry about me; Kurz got me out of the immediate area. Don't hold back on that thing Kaname."

"What is this thing Sousuke? It's so powerful; I can barely keep up with it!"

"Listen Kaname, that's Leonard's Armslave, a fourth generation model. It's more advanced than the Arbalest, so I need you to stay out of its reach. My backup unit will be here shortly, and then I can help you."

"Gotcha Sousuke."

-Miss Chidori, my sensors indicate that the Sergeant's back up unit will finish its drop in another 25 seconds-

"Thanks AL. Sousuke!"

"Yes?"

"Hurry up and get moving so… we can go home." A small smile appeared on his once serious face. Even with such a grim situation, she still could find it in her to be hopeful for the both of them. It was one of the things he admired most about her. No matter how desperate or impossible things seemed, she refused to give up at all costs. _'It's really no wonder why I fell for her,'_ he thought as he stared at the glowing monitor. Despite the differences in personal history, she had always seemed to be far stronger than he ever felt. "Sousuke? Did you read me?"

"Affirmative Kaname, I look forward to it. Over."

-Transmission complete Miss Chidori-

"Thanks AL. Now that we know Sousuke's okay, what do you say to a game of tag with this asshole?"

-Affirmative. Lambda Driver now at full activation-

"WHAT!?"

-I said, Lambda Driver now at~

"You mean to say you were holding out on me?!"

-Affirmative. My apologies, Miss Chidori; I did not want to harm the Sergeant either- Kaname's face fell as she used the controls to leap away from the Belial. If AL was tangible, she would have promised him quite the beating for not letting her use the Lambda Drivers' full power right when she needed it. _'Stupid A.I. and its smart-alecky remarks!' _ Leaping again, she flipped the giant mech and grabbed the boxer shot cannon attached to the Arbalests back before landing hard on top of one of the taller ruins. Taking quick aim, she centered the sights on the strange AS and fired, making sure to reinforce the bullets with an L.D. booster.

"Damn! Hold still asshole!" Kaname yelled as she fired on the machine over and over, her opponent leaping out of the way each time. She was just barely managing to escape the enemy's reach, and even when she thought she had jumped far enough away from it, it would chase her down within seconds. Deciding to play on one of the stories Kurz had told her once, Kaname landed hard on one of the open areas near a shallow river. Playing as if she had run out of ammunition, she counted the seconds until she could see the dark silver AS coming at her. Focusing the Lambda Driver into the shot, Kaname waited until the barrel almost touched it before shooting.

Her world shook on its hinges for a moment, as the enemy brought up his L.D. field and concentrated it into shoving both her and the bullet in the opposite direction, crushing the shell and knocking her into one of the raised cliff sides. Kaname saw stars for a few seconds after the Arbalest stopped shaking from impact, her head dangling from her neck like an old, used doll as she tried to quickly clear her vision. Finally raising her gaze, she looked back at the enemy AS with open hatred. This jerk was keeping her from destroying that mansion. He was also standing in the way of her spending time with Sousuke. He was going to pay dearly for delaying her from her cherished time with the man she loved. "AL."

-Yes Miss Chidori?-

"Can you hail that AS? I wanna know whose name I should write on his grave."

-Affirmative Miss Chidori. Processing……Connection Acquired-

"My dear Kaname, must you continue fighting your destiny so fiercely? It really is only a hindrance to both of us."

"Leonard?"

"Yes my love?"

"I'm going to kill you. For everything you've done, and everyone you've ever hurt. I won't let you go on senselessly hurting and killing innocent people!" She could hear the faint crackles of the radio as he responded with only silence. Her anger at her opponent multiplied nearly tenfold when she had found out who she was up against, and for the first time in her life, she truly wanted to kill someone.

"And I suppose you think Sagara is such a saint in comparison?" Her breath caught as the words fell from his mouth. It took a moment, but Kaname honestly couldn't say she would be surprised if Sousuke's kill count was even near the triple, or even the quadruple digits. "I did order Yui Lan killed, but she made her own decisions. I merely wished to protect you. You see Kaname? Sagara is nothing but a professional killer. When you think about it, which really is the better choice? Well?" Seconds of silence seemed to stretch for hours as Kaname stared daggers at the unit in front of her, and though still a little blurred from the hard impact, wishing that she could somehow detonate it with her anger alone. _'Heh, now that would put him in his place,' _she thought with a grim smile. Slowly, the dark silver mech started to approach the prone Arbalest, and just as she was about to retort, Leonard decided to speak once more. "My sweet Kaname, why don't you simply come back to me? I've treated you well this past month have I not? Haven't I given you everything you could ever wish for? What has that ill-mannered cretin ever given you?"

"You think that ransoming Sousuke to get me to come with you, then being held against my will in that house and forced into Whispered testing is everything I could ever wish for? Sousuke never forced me into anything even close to that you asshole!"

"Perhaps not, then again, asking for you to continue with your normal life as he stupidly blows another part of it up is far more unreasonable than what I asked for. I merely wished that you love me the same as I do you, my dear. _I_ gave you a house of your own and many beautiful clothes. What has _h_e ever been able to give you?" Before his next step could take him any closer to her, his sensors picked up two projectiles coming from the west at high speeds. Relying on his L.D. field, Leonard blocked them both and leapt back away from the ridge. Looking up to the top of the high cliff side, he saw another Armslave leap over the edge. The new opponent fired as they fell from the high point above them, forcing Leonard farther back.

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here!" Leonard moved his mechs arm to assist defending himself at just the right second to block Sousuke's attack from above. Both L.D. fields clashed brightly for what seemed like an eternity before Leonard was able to push Sousuke's mech back toward the still prone Arbalest. A hole broke through the heavy clouds, letting the bright moon rays dance across the red and white painted mech that now confronted him. Cooling wires shot out from the back of the mechs head, creating something like a long ponytail that faintly glowed as it let out the heat from the mechs systems. Opening another frequency, Sousuke hailed the still prone Arbalest behind him. "Kaname, are you alright? Can you get up?"

"Ugh, y-yeah. Just hit my head a little when we collided with the rocks."

-All biological scanners show that there is no chance of cranial or brain damage Sergeant-

"Thanks AL. I'm going to see what I can do to put this spoiled brat in his place."

-Roger. I will protect Miss Chidori-

"…"

-Sergeant?-

"Thank you AL. For taking care of her…."

-It's not a problem Sergeant- Focusing back on his now former employer, Sousuke's grip on the controls tightened as he set free the rage and frustration he'd managed to keep bottled up while working for the stuck up young man in front of him. Ever since day one of serving Leonard, Sousuke had to keep an even tighter leash on his feelings, else he would have acted on some of the more gruesome fantasies that had often danced across his mind while the boy spoke his favored smart-ass insults. It was incredible really, that his time with Leonard hadn't turned him into some demented shadow spawn of Gauron. For months on end, he'd had to take orders from a stuck-up bastard that insisted he was somehow better than everyone else, blasting his ridiculous classical music day and night as he sat in plush chairs acting as if it still wasn't enough to have everything he did. Just the thought that this immature _boy_ could be so selfish while others constantly suffered for pointless reasons gave Sousuke a sour taste in his mouth.

"Oh dear, should I take it that you will no longer be in my service Sagara?"

"Take you precious job and shove it up your ass Leonard! I QUIT!" Rushing forward with a strong leap, Leonard seemed to almost yawn and put up Belial's hand to form another L.D. field. Though the L.D. field did slow the Laevatin down slightly, Belial hadn't put up any other defenses, and after only mere seconds of confidence, Belial was promptly forced back. Sharply colliding with a thick grove of trees, Leonard was shocked that Sousuke was able to do anything against his Belial. He'd made sure to design it to near perfection, the true epitome of all Armslaves for years to come, so why is it that one of the most barbaric imbeciles was able to get anywhere near him?

Not letting Leonard have any more of a chance to defend himself than he already did, the Laevatin rushed at Belial. Sousuke was actually quite surprised at himself. It had been almost nine months since the last time he had even set foot within a few yards of any armslaves, yet it all seemed as if he'd never left once his hands had gripped those familiar controls within the cockpit. Activating both monomolecular cutters, he ran straight at Belial. Leonard activated the wings on Belial's back, leaping over the Laevatin as it attempted to slash at its arms and legs. Using the elongated extremities on Belial's elbows, he flew down fast in attempt to crush it into the Laevatin's back, hopefully penetrating through to the cockpit area. Turning quickly, Sousuke crossed both monomolecular cutters in an effort to block the attack from above. Unfortunately in Belial's descent, Leonard's pride had all but forgotten that Kaname and the Arbalest had not been down for the count. Three shots rushed at Belial's frame from the boxer cannon held in the Arbalests roughened mechanized hands as it crouched in the shadow of the tall cliff side. Twisting the mech while still in the air, the shots scratched by the torso of Belial's silvered frame. "Et tu my dear Kaname?"

"Geez! Don't you _ever_ shut the hell up?!"

"Affirmative!" Using Belial's wings once more, Leonard remained still against the clouded night sky, hovering high over the heads of his two opponents as if looking down over naughty children. It wasn't as if such defiance hadn't been expected, but to try his patience to such a degree, Leonard found the desperate opposition of the two quite annoying. Diving down low, Belial tried to practically impale either unit on its arm, gaining only more frustration as the two were able to just barely dodge out of the way.

Another few shots whizzed by Belial's frame, coming from the northeast this time, and Kaname had a feeling that those were from Melissa. To keep him distracted, she hot off some of the rounds from the head mounted chain gun before using some of the trees to slip back underneath Belial and back the way it came. Opening the file with the locations of the planted explosives, she rejoined Sousuke in the shadow of the cliff side as Belial came soaring back. Just as he was flying over the first mine, Sousuke detonated it, ruining the trajectory and sending Belial off its course and damaging the front of the legs and lower torso.

With Belial's attention on the area that received damage, Kurz fired on the right shoulder joint, using the Fairy Eye to tell just where the L.D. shield was weakest. Seeing a chance, Melissa also shot off a few to try and confuse Belial with just where the shots had come from. Belial skidded across the ground, still moving from the momentum of its flight, tearing long deep trenches into the dampened earth. Once the dust started to settle, they noticed he still wasn't moving. "Sousuke?"

"Yes?"

"Cover me, I'm gonna check things out."

"But Kaname-!"

"It'll be okay Sousuke. You're with me now; I know you won't let anything happen to me." Still hesitant about letting her literally walk into a lion's den, Laevatin handed over a spare 57mm round case. After she had loaded it into the chamber, Laevatin took hold of its 1655mm, putting more stress on the already pushed L.D. power gauge. Sousuke broke into a sweat as he watched the Arbalest walk slowly over toward the downed Belial, each second feeling like an eternity. At the same time, he knew he shouldn't worry so much anymore. After hearing all that she had done in the last nine months, Kaname was more than capable of taking care of herself; but still, he couldn't stop the nagging feeling in the back of his head that it should have been him to check the situation. Making sure that the targeting system was locked onto the area where the cockpit would be, Sousuke held his breath when she finally reached the still mech.

The Arbalest took the tip of the 57mm rifle and nudged the closest arm, stepping back when she let it fall to the ground. _'This can't be,'_ she thought. _'It couldn't have been this easy! Even with all the damage we've dealt, the frame is only scratched up and burnt a little! This doesn't feel ri-!' _ Moving faster than Kaname could blink, Belial leapt at the Arbalest and brought one of its arms around the front; the hand with its monomolecular cutter aimed right for the cockpit. Sousuke's eyes widened as he watched the movements play out in front of him, his blood running cold as he saw Belial standing with its monomolecular cutter aimed for Kaname. "Well, well, well; now isn't this interesting?"

"Leonard, you let her go right now!"

"And what makes you think I would listen to such an absurd request?" Sousuke tried moving toward them, but stopped immediately when he saw Leonard moving the cutter closer to the Arbalests chest plate. "Come any closer and I _will_ kill her Sagara. You see, I'm what you would call, the Jealous Type. If I can't have her, then no one will have her." Sousuke tried to suppress the growl growing in his throat, his fingers flexing tightly on the controls as his mind speedily tried to find a way to get close enough to set the Arbalest free of Belial's grip. Glancing down at the map he'd sent to Kaname about the positions of the explosives, he formed a quick plan of action.

"Leonard."

"Sagara?"

"If you think I plan on leaving without her, you're more of a self conceited brat than I initially thought you were."

"Oh this is rich Sagara! Trying to goad me with petty insults? Do you honestly take me as that much of a fool?" Sousuke looked at the map quickly. If Leonard moved just a few feet to the right, then he would set off about two of the explosives he'd planted earlier. Accessing his radio channels, he quickly contacted Kurz.

"This is Urzu 7 to Urzu 6, do you copy?"

"Roger that pal. Hope you got a plan for this wacko."

"Affirmative. Can you shoot him in the right leg joint where it connects to the body?"

"That's all? Come on man! And here I thought you'd offer me a challenge!"

"You should have a chance if I can draw his focus to the left correct?"

"That's a big 10-4 buddy."

"Good, keep focused on that spot, and when you have an opening, shoot him exactly there. It should shock the system enough that he loses his balance and let go of-" Sousuke was never given the chance to finish his sentence. Still keeping a close eye on the A.S.s in front him, he saw the Arbalest take hold of the arm that hovered over the front chest plate, and flipped it over its shoulder, landing hard on one of the other explosives Sousuke had planted. Still in shock at the over simplistic way she freed herself, Sousuke continued to stare at the screen, watching the area in front of him with awe.

Kaname had the Arbalest come over the top of Belial and planted her foot hard on the shoulder joint, still holding the wrist with all of its available power. The other hand reached to grab hold of the anti-tank dagger on its hip, holding it dangerously close to the elbow joint behind its protective plate armor. "Don't think for one second that I sweet talked my way onto the SRT Leonard. That thought could be your last." A chill ran up her spine as she stared down at Belial's face through the monitor, the feeling that an eerily cold smile had appeared on his face radiated through the many metal layers and had her blood running cold.

"Very well then my dear. I suppose now would be a good time to take you two more seriously." The air seemed to energize quickly, and the dark-silvered frame of Belial seemed to begin to glow with an intense light. Somehow, Leonard took back control of his captured arm, and flung the Arbalest into the Laevatin. The momentum left the Laevatin and the Arbalest haphazardly sprawled out across what used to be a thicket of trees. "Pity I'll have to kill both of you, but you brought this on yourselves." The glow from Belial's surface intensified, until the very metal seemed to have a luminescence all its own. Managing to pull themselves up quickly, Kaname signaled to Sousuke to set their L.D. output to maximum, hoping that the two of them might be enough. Also passing on a warning, Kaname closed her eyes and slowly letting in the Whispers that had been pulling fiercely at the edges of her mind. "May you rest in peace, my former love…"

Within the blink of an eye, Belial's speed increased drastically. Moving in chaotic zigzags and alternating its overall speed made the mech almost impossible to touch, and yet every time it came closer, it landed another powerful strike to either the Arbalest or the Laevatin. It was quite obvious that Leonard was no longer playing around. As another hit rocked Kaname inside the warm cockpit, she tried to strike out with the anti-tank dagger in the mechs large hand, only to find that Belial was no longer there. "Damn!"

-Miss Chidori, we are being hailed by the Laevatin-

"Put him through AL."

-Roger-

"Kaname!"

"Ugh! Kind of busy right now Sousuke! What is it?"

"Marry me!"

"…" Kaname sat stunned within the small confines of the Arbalests cockpit. Once she had a moment to fully process the words that had sounded from the loud radio speakers, she felt her frustration grow. Loud warning beeps brought her back to herself mere seconds before Belial struck. Retaliating with an L.D. shield, she was able to just barely block a hit that would have taken the Arbalests right arm. Kaname felt both anger and elation rising within her, each warring for supremacy. On the one hand, hearing him speak those two beautiful words had been like a dream come true, sending a torrent of butterflies free inside her stomach. On the other hand though, considering their present surroundings, it only reaffirmed the fact that no matter what happened, Sousuke was _still_ a hopelessly clueless otaku with the universes _absolute worse timing_!!! Opening a separate radio channel, Kaname had AL hail the Daanan. "TDD-HQ, this is Angel, respond!"

"This is TDD-HQ Angel, we read you. What's wrong Kaname? Do you need extra backup?"

"Tessa, marry us!"

"…"

"Tessa!"

"U-Um, w-while I am flattered Miss Kaname, I'm not really interested in girls that way…"

"Not you and me you ding-bat! Marry me and Sousuke! You're a Captain right?" Tessa thought about it for a moment, still shocked at the sudden request from both a friend and valued comrade. Looking over at Mardukas with a questionable expression, he cleared his throat and reached up to straighten his hat.

"It is possible if the Captain is also recognized as the majority religious leader of her vessel. If this is what they want, the present crew, as well as Urzu 2 and 6, may act as witnesses. Though as soon as they return to Tokyo, they would need to have an official ceremony, whether it is religious or legal." Blinking in surprise, Tessa looked hurriedly over at Kalinin, who stood still and silent next to her as he always had.

"He is correct Madam Captain. For all immediate purposes, you lead your entire crew in nearly every aspect of our daily lives. And though we may all have varying beliefs, we stand united under your command." Tessa felt her pulse quicken as her excitement grew. Not only were two of her dearest friends going to be wed, but she was able to assist in making it happen as well. Standing from her seat, Tessa looked over to the Dispatcher with a huge smile on her face.

"Connect me to Urzu 2, 6, and 7 immediately."

"Yes ma'am!" With a quick blip on the main screen, the connection was quickly established.

"This is TDD-HQ to Urzu 7; do you read me Mr. Sagara?"

"Affirmative ma'am!"

"Miss, Kaname, are you still connected as well?"

"Roger that Tessa!"

"Very well. Urzu 2 and 6, please respond."

"Urzu 2 here. What's wrong Captain?"

"Yeah what's up?"

"I need you two to act as witnesses from the battlefield."

"Witnesses?"

"What for Captain?"

"Just keep your lines open. Now, we are gathered here to bear witness to the union of Mr. Sousuke Sagara and Miss Kaname Chidori. If anyone has any reason why these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace." Tessa tried to silence her giggles at the sounds of shock and surprise coming from Kurz's and Melissa's transmissions. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Tessa stared back at the main display screen as she continued. "Very well. Sousuke Sagara and Kaname Chidori, do you take each other to be your loving partner?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Yes!"

"Do you promise to love and cherish each other, in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer, for better and for worse, forsaking all others, and keep yourself only unto them, for so long as you both shall live?" Tessa felt her heart speed up again as they both responded clearly once more. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she glanced over toward Kalinin. Though his expression seemed as stoic as it ever was, she could feel the air of pride that surrounded him. The young man he'd practically raised had finally found what made him happiest in this world, and like the man he'd always hoped Sousuke would be, he was making sure to hold onto it with all his might. Wiping away the gathering tears, Tessa found her voice and continued. "Do you together promise in the presence of your friends and comrades that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becomes Husband and Wife?"

"We do."

"Do you together promise you will love, cherish and respect one another for as long as you both shall live?"

"We do."

"Then by the power vested in me, as Captain of the Tuatha De Daanan, I hereby pronounce you as man and wife. Upon the completion of the battle and your assured safety, Mr. Sagara, you may kiss your bride."

"Yes ma'am!" Following his response, Sousuke was able to block Belial from what would have been a devastating blow, capturing Belial's arm and tossing the mech forcefully down onto the jungle floor. Now fueled by his desire to embrace his new wife, the Laevatin came down hard on the left side of the Belial, rendering its arm virtually useless. Even with both of their L.D.'s running at their highest capacity, Leonard's fury at having been struck at all began to cloud his normally calculating mind.

Seated within the warm cockpit of the Arbalest, Kaname blinked as an idea came to her. By design alone, the Belial was still superior to the Arbalest in every way, but it wasn't the mech specs of the unit that would make her plan effective. If her assessment of Leonard's personality was correct, then this was a boy who despised losing at any cost. If she was even half right, then regardless of the simplicity of the idea, it could give them enough of an advantage to destroy it for good. Opening a private line, she contacted the Laevatin. "Hey, Sousuke?"

"Yes?"

"I think I have an idea."

"You do? What is it?"

"Leonard is a guy that hates to lose, right?"

"Affirmative."

"And he says he's in love with me, right?"

"Yes…"

"So we can use that against him. Make him mad so he doesn't think straight, he already seems as though he's loosing his patience with us anyway. Then have Kurz snipe him in a few specific places so that his mech gets weak enough for us to blow him away."

"And just how do you plan to make him angry?"

"Well…"

"Kaname?"

"Why don't we try telling him how much fun we had in my room?"

"…"

"In as much detail as possible." It didn't take a genius to determine that the sound over the radio was Sousuke attempting to swallow over the lump that had formed in his throat. Taking a deep breath, Kaname looked back up at the floating Belial, challenging it with her stare alone. "Sousuke?"

"I-I…uh…"

Hearing another gulp over the radio, she sighed and opened up another line to contact Kurz and Melissa. "This is Angel to Urzu 6 and Urzu 2, do you read me?"

"Urzu 2, here Angel."

"Loud and clear Angel, what's up?"

"I'm sending you both specifics on what we plan on doing to beat this thing. Melissa, I'm gonna need you for support fire, and Kurz will need to snipe him right through the cockpit with help from the Fairy Eye. We need to make that shot count, if he figures out what we're doing he'll pull out before we can get rid of him."

"Understood. I'll do what I can Kaname."

"I gotcha babe, good luck out there." Sending the quick overview she had typed up, Kaname turned back to her channel with Sousuke. "Sousuke?"

"Uh…"

"Oh for Pete's sake! I'll just do it myself!" Taking a moment to steel her nerves, she activated her external speakers. Despite her conviction, a light sweat began to gather on the back of her neck. Kaname knew her plan had a better than average chance of succeeding, hell, a lot of her plans were made up on the fly and always worked out wonderfully. No, the difficult part was the things she was going to practically yell at the top of her lungs in order to make the young man furious enough to lose his cool demeanor. Making the Arbalest's head focus on the glowing Belial, Kaname cleared her throat one last time. "Leonard!"

"Yes my dear? Are you ready to apologize and come back to my waiting arms? Though I will still have to punish you for your transgressions, I may decide to be lenient."

"Like hell I'd be that stupid! I just wanted to know if you'd be interested in hearing how my day has been so far?"

"I treasure every sound that floats from your melodious voice my sweet."

"I slept with him."

"What?"

"While your back was turned, I slept with Sousuke."

"What in hell are you talking about?!"

Sousuke could easily envision the building rage on Leonard's face as she spoke. Although speaking in such a vulgar fashion had never been something Kaname liked from others, as long as it distracted Leonard long enough to draw him closer, they would stand a better chance of destroying him. "It's true you know, I gave myself to him of my own free will."

"You, you're lying!"

"Deny it all you want Leonard! It won't change the fact that he's touched me in places you've only dreamt about!" From his place high above the ground, Leonard charged toward the Laevatin to finally rid the world of his most hated enemy. Belial moved nearly as quickly as lightning itself, and catching it at the last second, Sousuke moved out of the way and leapt at Belial, baring both monomolecular cutters in the mechs large hands. Kaname moved out of the way of Belial's descent and reloaded her boxer cannon. The faint hum of the Whispers pulled at the edges of her consciousness, distracting her a second before she realized that the enraged Belial was now charging at her at near its top speed. Just as it seemed that it was right in front of her, part of Belial's neck sparked, making the head twitch and shake for a few seconds. With the Belial stopped, Kaname fired her boxer cannon at point blank, making sure to give the weapon a boost with the Lambda Driver before leaping out and away from it.

A large hole was now in the left wing of the once invincible armslave.

"So how's it feel Leonard? Knowing that I've given myself freely to another man? Does it hurt? Have I disappointed you?" The Arbalest continued to leap just out of Belial's reach as it tried to land a physical strike, and Kaname grinned at the increasingly erratic moves he was making against her. His anger was beginning to overshadow his skill as a pilot, and it made her absolutely giggle at his boundless jealousy. Making sure to distract Belial with her endless dodging, Laevatin chased both units as he secretly left behind hidden explosives, making sure to mark on the map where they were before broadcasting it to the Arbalest. "That's not all either!"

"How could you lower yourself so far? Why would you degrade yourself and lay with such ilk!?"

"We were just now married! With help from your sister to boot!" Opening her frequencies again, Kaname made sure Kurz was ready to strike on her mark with assistance from the Fairy Eye. "Sousuke."

"Yes?"

"If I can draw him in, can you hold him in place?"

"I should be able to manage for a short while Kaname. But if you let him get too close it could destroy you!"

"It's a chance we have to take Sousuke. Stay close to me, and grab him when you see an opening. Kurz is going to fire the first chance he gets, so we only have one shot at this." Against his better judgment, Sousuke agreed. She would make a far better decoy than he would in this situation, but that certainly didn't mean he had to like it.

"Roger. I'll strike at my first opening." Waiting for just the right moment, Kaname located a dip in the terrain. Positioning herself as she dodged yet another blow from Belial, she pretended to not have noticed it, and tripped. While Belial was attempting to grab the Arbalests wrist in order to capture it, the Laevatin jumped to intercept it. Coming from the side, Laevatin held Belial back as the Arbalest flipped and doubled back to assist the Laevatin.

Kurz followed the three mechs carefully, and right when Belial had been slowed, he took his shot. The Fairy Eye revealing the Lambda Drivers fluctuations, he aimed for the weakest spot, right below the location of the cockpit. Leonard was using so much energy trying to shake himself free of his opponents; he never even realized that he'd left his best defense slip. As the 57mm shot through the Belial's center frame, it ceased all movements. Cooling fluids and various oils poured out of the gaping hole as Leonard sat in sheer disbelief at what had just happened. His eyes widened as he sat in his pilot's chair, listening to the A.I. announce that all his core systems had been damaged beyond repair one by one.

Dropping the still mech on the ground between them, the Laevatin leaned over and peeled back the thick, silver chest plate, exposing the Whispered boy as he sat in his dazed confusion. _'I don't understand? Where did I go wrong? I am special, one who should have the world at his fingertips. Why? Why is it that I was defeated by such incompetent fools?' _ Leonard's gaze seemed out of focus as Sousuke exited the Laevatin's cockpit and stood on the edge of the gaping opening_. 'I know I am better than him! Yet, why must he have everything? Why does he get to have everything I want and more!? Why?' _ Leonard's anger and self loathing flooded over him as he looked up at the young man who had once been nothing more than another pawn for his amusement. His rage began to build up once more as he stared into Sousuke's defiant grey irises, still feeling as if he'd been cheated somehow.

"I knew from the first day I met you that your arrogance would be your undoing. It robs even the most capable soldiers of their better judgment, and clouds their reason. You always favored yourself as a King among men Leonard Testarossa. How does it feel for a King to bow to a lowly barbarian?" Sousuke reached behind him and took hold of his stashed Glock, pulling it free from the waistline of his pants. Leonard smiled ruefully as Sousuke took aim at his head. He waited to see even the slightest of smiles from his executioner, but Sousuke's face remained stoic and unemotional, completely at ease with who he was and what he was about to do.

"You aren't going to arrest me? Doesn't that go against everything your precious _Mithril_ stands for?"

"Seeing as I'm not currently operating under Mithril's command, I can do whatever I please with you." Leaning over the edge of the gaping hole, Sousuke brought both himself and the barrel of his gun closer to its intended target. A rare and frightening expression crossed his face as he looked down at Leonard, the faint moonlight glowing off of his dark chestnut hair as it blew in the night winds.

"Hm, I see. Though I hope you do realize, if you do kill me, it only reaffirms that in the end, I am still better than you." Leonard's eyes widened as he saw Sousuke's finger draw down on the trigger, feeling true fear running down his spine for the first time in too many years.

"You may have had the world and more at your feet Leonard, but when the game ends, the King and the Pawn go in the same box."

Kaname watched as Sousuke climbed back out of the hole in the chest of Belial, small splatters of blood beginning to dry on his face as he stood and stared back at the face of the Arbalest. Watching him jump down to the jungle floor, Kaname unlocked her exit hatch to join him. As she touched his shoulder lightly, he turned to face her, small slivers of moonlight danced over her hair, making it look like an endless river behind her. Nothing more needed to be said, and she smiled as she carefully wiped the small crimson droplets from his face. Once complete in her task, she glanced back at the now shredded form of Belial. "You still have something you need to do you know?"

Sousuke looked back at her, blinking a moment as he searched his mind for anything else that might have needed to be done. Finding nothing, his face turned confused, making Kaname giggle when she turned back to face him. "You still need to kiss your bride." As recognition finally came to him, he smiled and drew her close. Enjoying a momentary embrace, he leaned down to kiss her, sharing a brief yet passionate kiss before returning to their armslaves.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – Epilogue: When I See You Smile**

"Arg! Why the hell do we have to go to the damn hangar!? I swear, as soon as we get back to the bunk I'm painting in big red letters _'Do Not Disturb on Pain of Death'_ across our feakin' door!!" Kaname yelled, continuing her somewhat violent tirade as she and Sousuke walked down the long hallways of De Daanan toward the hangar. They'd been at sea nearly two days now, the Daanan having to complete the obligatory patrol route before being granted the opportunity to head toward Tokyo, and so far Kaname had not objected. On the contrary, she had all but locked both of them in her old bunk room, calling it an _'Impromptu Honeymoon Suite'_. Though she had made sure to have Sousuke promise to give her a real honeymoon once everything settled down, the two had barely left the room long enough to eat, and as it was, Sousuke wasn't sure he'd survive the real thing.

Sousuke sighed quietly beside her as she continued to go on about how it was implied that the two were not to be disturbed until they had reached Tokyo Bay. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Kaname finally calmed down slightly, leaning into him as they walked.

"Calm down Kaname. The Captain probably just wants us to sign off on the maintenance reports for the A.S.s we used. It should go quickly, and then we can head back." Looking up at him with an innocently starry-eyed look that promised her wrath should she be contradicted, Sousuke tried to remain calm.

"You promise Sousuke? Cause I didn't feel like being interrupted for another day or two." Blushing for what seemed to be the millionth time in the last few days, Sousuke gulped before answering.

"We shall certainly try Kaname. Maybe we could stop by the mess hall on the way back and get something to eat though."

"You hungry?"

"Well, you _have_ been giving me quite the workout the last few days. It would be nice to regain some of our energy, should you wish to continue our _'activities'_." It was her turn to blush at the obvious comment. Leaning over to plant a light kiss on her head, smiled at him as they turned to open the hangar door.

Finding all the lights turned out, Kaname leaned forward, trying to see into the darkness of the large room. "Hello!" She yelled as loud as she could, surprised when only silence answered them. "Huh, hey Sousuke? Tessa said the hangar right?"

"That's what the announcement said, but I don-" Seconds after he stepped inside behind her, the hangar door slammed shut behind them, the darkness encasing the two for only a few moments before the lights flared on, revealing the entire crew as they began to shout their congratulations, welcoming them both back. Both teenagers had blushes spreading across their faces as they looked on with embarrassment at the large picture banner of their embrace before they had boarded their A.S.s back in the jungle. All over were hung other banners displaying _'Just Married'_, _'We Missed You'_, and _'Welcome Back'_. The stage had been set up again, just as it had when they had celebrated De Daanan's birthday, and Kaname and Sousuke could feel a chill run up their spines as they noticed Kurz was once again standing proudly on the stage with a microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and Gentleman! May I be the first to introduce you to the couple of the evening! Mr. and Mrs. Sousuke Sagara!" Though it was expected that Sousuke would be rendered completely speechless at being the complete focus of attention, it was a welcome surprise that Kaname too was frozen in place with shock. "What do you say folks? Should we bring up the happy couple?" Another resounding applause erupted from the mass of soldiers and technicians, and before either of the teenagers knew what was happening, a path cleared in front of them, cutting through the crowd and ending at the stage's stairway.

From behind the large banner came Tessa, dressed in her finest uniform with a big smile on her face. Taking the microphone from Kurz, Tessa cleared her throat. "Mr. Sagara, _Mrs._ Sagara, would you please join me on the stage for a moment?" Just as they were contemplating the thought of obeying their captain, Melissa and the remaining SRT members somehow materialized behind them to push the two forward. Once on the stage, though still thoroughly embarrassed at being the center of attention, Tessa turned to them. "My apologies for making a grand show of this, but I have some exciting news for the both of you."

"News?"

"You mean scaring the crap out of us isn't exciting enough for you?"

"Of course not Miss Kaname," Tessa retorted with a mischievous grin on her face. Had it not been for the large crowd of people watching them so intently, Kaname would have taken the small girl and subjected her to a very furious noogie, mostly with the purpose of messing her pristine silver locks. "By order of high command, both of you are to be given a leave of absence for the remainder of the month once returned to Tokyo."

"That was all?"

"Well, and of course I wanted to congratulate you both, and give you a proper welcome for returning safely." Taking a moment to hug them both, the crowd applauded their congratulations as well. Giving Kurz back the microphone, Tessa walked with the two of them back off the stage.

"So how about it folks? I say we let our new couple have their first dance. What do you say?" As everyone applauded loudly, Sousuke blushed. Looking back at Kaname with a worried look, he tried to force himself to admit to one of his more ridiculous weaknesses. Noticing his dismay, Kaname gave him a pat on the shoulder and reassured him that the kind of dance Kurz suggested was fairly simple, and that as long as he remained calm, he could just follow her until it was over. Leading him to the center of the crowded hangar, Kaname put his hands at her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck loosely. Once ready, she turned to nod to Kurz. "Alrighty then, presenting the first dance of Mr. and Mr. Sagara!"

Putting the microphone back in its stand, Kurz turned and picked up his favorite guitar. Joining him shortly after was Melissa with her keyboard, and a few extra speakers. Everyone waited patiently as they hooked everything up, and Kaname had to try to keep from laughing at the clear distress written across Sousuke's face. "Calm down Sousuke. It'll be over before you know it."

"R-roger." When everything was finally hooked up, Melissa turned on the keyboard and turned up the background instrumentals. Starting out softly, Kaname began to lead Sousuke through the dreaded slow dance, and besides his overall embarrassment, he had to admit that she was right about it being easier than it sounded. After a few seconds of hearing the soft keyboard, Kurz began to sing.

Sometimes I wonder  
How I'd ever make it through,  
Through this world without having you  
I just wouldn't have a clue

'Cause sometimes it seems  
Like this world's closing in on me,  
And there's no way of breaking free  
And then I see you reach for me

Hearing words that rang so true with the both of them, Kaname made a mental note that before the day was over, she would have to give Kurz a big hug for considering the both of them when planning their surprise. Still, she was finding it difficult to think of much at the moment. With her arms wrapped lightly around the neck of the only man she could ever love so much, especially with those deep grey eyes watching her so intently, she gave in and leaned on him as they slowly circled.

Sometimes I wanna give up  
I wanna give in,  
I wanna quit the fight  
And then I see you, baby  
And everything's alright,  
everything's alright

When I see you smile  
I can face the world,  
you know I can do anything  
When I see you smile  
I see a ray of light,  
I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Circling each other as the music boomed from the large speakers, Sousuke's uneasiness began to slowly melt away as Kaname leaned into him and rested her head on his chest. Always his ray of hope when things seemed hopelessly chaotic, he smiled as he rested his chin on her head. As he finally recognized the words his friend and comrade sang, he never knew words could ring so true. Without even knowing, he tightened his arms around her, completely forgetting his surroundings. Remembering his feelings right before he'd abandoned everything on the still dark streets of Hong Kong, Sousuke felt that they still rang true. What good was he if she wasn't there?

Baby there's nothing in this world  
that could ever do  
What a touch of your hand can do  
It's like nothing that I ever knew

And when the rain is falling  
I don't feel it,  
'cause you're here with me now  
And one look at you baby  
Is all I'll ever need,  
you're all I'll ever need

Tessa sat on the sidelines of the crowd as she watched two of her closest friends enjoy their first dance. Still feeling choked up from being asked to marry them, a few tears of happiness made their way past her thick lashes before she could wipe them away. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned and was surprised to find Yang. "Corporal?"

"Madam Captain, may I have this dance?" The slight bow combined with his natural courtesy made her blush deeply. Her breath caught in her throat, when Yang raised his head to await her answer, all she could do was nod. Holding out her hand, he took it and lead her to the far end of the circle, leading her gently as the song continued. "So, should we tell them?" Tessa blinked a moment, as if not realizing what it was he had asked her. When the thought finally came, her blush deepened, taking a glance over to the newly married couple a few feet away.

"N-not just yet. This is their day, we should let things settle down a bit first." Looking back up at him, Yang smiled as he twirled her on her toes before bringing her back into his arms.

"Then we'll wait."

When I see you smile  
I can face the world,  
you know I can do anything  
When I see you smile  
I see a ray of light,  
I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

Sometimes I wanna give up  
I wanna give in,  
I wanna quit the fight  
And then I see you baby  
And everything's alright,  
everything's alright

When I see you smile  
I can face the world,  
you know I can do anything  
When I see you smile  
I see a ray of light,  
I see it shining right through the rain  
When I see you smile  
Oh yeah, baby when I see you smile at me

**7 Months later…**

Kaname waited impatiently as the plane pulled into the gate, wishing that somehow she could will it to secure faster so she could see her husband again. It had been a long time in coming, but with the information from Sousuke, plans to strike the major Amalgam bases had been set in motion. While they had been in the planning stages, thankfully there had been ample time for them to be together, and allow Sousuke time to learn how to effectively operate the Laevatin. Because of recent events however, Kaname was unable to go with him and operate the Arbalest. Still, as she stared down at her ever growing belly, she felt her excitement rise as the stewardess opened the loading hall from the plane. Trying in vain not to fidget with anticipation, Kaname's thoughts turned to the news they had received not long before Sousuke had to leave for his current mission.

Yang had purposed. Not long after Kaname had been taken by Leonard, Yang had finally confessed to Tessa about his feelings. Though at first he had misinterpreted her wide eyed silence as a rejection, he was quick to learn that she had also been harboring deep feelings for him as well. Watching from the sidelines, Kaname had to admit that it was really about time they noticed. From the moment she started staying on the Daanan on a regular basis, she had seen Yang look at her differently than any other girl, and though Tessa would try to cover it up when confronted, it was obvious that she felt the same. Thankfully, the only thing that had stood in their way had recently been taken care of. Because it was against protocol for officers to fraternize, Tessa had ended up requesting for a transfer back into the R and D Department, Leaving the Daanan in the careful hands of, now Captain Mardukas.

Catching a faint breeze from the loading hall, she was able to catch the faint scent of gunpowder and oil. Though most would constitute those scents as coming from the tarmac, Kaname knew better, and slowly approached the long hallway, her heart leaping into her throat as she spotted her soldier. Lightly jogging the remaining few feet, Sousuke left his bag on the ground to sweep her into his arms, making her laugh at his sudden embrace. Coming down for a firm yet quick kiss, she smiled as he leaned his forehead against hers. Looking briefly to her stomach, Kaname took one of his hands and held it against her. "We missed you, you know."

"I missed you two as well." After a moment of enjoying each other's presence after a week of separation, Sousuke turned and picked up his duffle bag, wrapping an arm around his wife as they walked through the airport. Glancing back down at his wife and unborn child, Sousuke smiled to himself. Walking quietly together, the sunlight sparkling off of the new keychain she'd bought for him, Sousuke felt again a sense of peaceful acceptance whenever he was with her.

'_I'm finally home.'_


End file.
